Southern Pines Man Dies in U.S. 1 Wreck

As of Friday, June 3, 2011

Photo by Frank Staples

A Southern Pines man died on the way to the hospital after this car wreck on U.S. 1 Wednesday night.

A Southern Pines man died after a one-vehicle accident Wednesday night on U.S. 1 near Midland Road.

William Edwin Jones, 57, was driving a 2008 Chrysler Crossfire at a high rate of speed on U.S. 1 North just past W. Pennsylvania when he apparently lost control of his vehicle, according to the accident report.

The incident happened at 10:16 p.m.

Jones and his passenger, Tony Ray Moody, 29, of Southern Pines, both were transported to Moore Regional Hospital. EMS personnel reported that Jones died en route to the hospital, according to the report.

Moody was treated and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.

According to the accident report, a witness stated that Jones was driving much too fast to make the curve and lost control. Moody told investigators that Jones’ vehicle was travelling at 130 mph when it began “fishtailing.” The vehicle ran off the left side of the roadway and into the median, where it struck a road sign and ran down the median until it hit a concrete culvert and flipped several times before coming to rest in the northbound lane of U.S. 1 facing south.

Police are still investigating the accident.

Contact Tom Embrey at tembrey@thepilot.com.

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jrw 1 year, 11 months ago

Mr. Moody is very lucky to be alive as well if the car was doing 130mph when it lost control. He should consider himself very lucky to be alive after that kind of crash in such a small car. I feel sorry for the family of Mr. Jones who have to mourn their loss over such a senseless act. God Bless all involved.

FightFireWithFire 1 year, 11 months ago

130 MPH?? I doubt it.

herecomesthescience 1 year, 11 months ago

Yep, no way in a Crossfire.

TallShadow 1 year, 11 months ago

The Crossfire is built on the Mercedes-Benz R170 platform. Top speed is 155 mph (electrically limited).

arizonaannie 1 year, 11 months ago

I grew up with Mr. Jones and he leaves a grieving family and friends behind. You should be more sensitive to the family's loss not commenting like you are. Shame on you and hope if you go through something like this people do not make rude comments.

peterprints 1 year, 11 months ago

Arizonaannie, you are exactly right. Those comments are from the dregs of society who do NOTHING all day, they may work but no one hears them all day long, no one thinks they're clever except themselves...all day long. And when they get home and go online, they hide behind their cutsie user names and make comments that they'd never have the guts to make to your face. I'd tell them to "get a life" but they wouldn't understand...they already think they have one, and because of that, we have to put up with the crap they write day after day.

JER 1 year, 11 months ago

Excuse me while I call a spade a freaking shovel. None of the previous comments were insensitive. This one, however, may be. Mr. Jones caused the grief his family and friends are now feeling. It is only by pure chance that Mr. Jones did not also cause the death of Mr. Moody as well as others who may have been in his vicinity. Mr. Jones may have been a fine person with many good qualities, but his actions were the equivalent of pointing a 357 magnum at a crowd and pulling the trigger. I grieve with the family that has lost a member, but I also feel relief that Mr. Jones did not kill one of my family members as he committed a reckless, thoughtless crime. Would arizonaannie and peterprints be as indignant had the car driven by Mr. Jones struck their son or daughter? I don't need to "get a life", I just want to keep the one I've got. I am outraged by Mr. Smith's actions and am not going to sit quietly by and say nothing.