Last Updated on June 18, 2020 10:42 am
Boone, NC – At approximately 5:16 p.m. on Monday June 15, Boone Police, Boone Fire and Watauga Medics responded to a motor vehicle crash with injuries, involving three vehicles on U.S. 421 near the intersection of Industrial Park Dr. Boone Fire began working to free two of the occupants who were pinned inside the wreckage. Three people were transported to Watauga Medical Center, one with life threatening injuries.
Lee J. Hamilton, 59, of Liberty Landing, Fleetwood, was found unresponsive at the scene. He was transported to the Watauga Medical Center where he passed away from injuries sustained in the collision. Mr. Hamilton was the sole occupant of his 2015 Toyota Rav4. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mr. Hamilton.
The other vehicles involved were a 2006 Jeep Liberty, operated by Jordan Edesking, 20, of Mountain City, TN and a 2015 Toyota Corolla, operated by Carlos Diaz-Zambrano, 35, of Wilkesboro, NC. There were no passengers in either vehicle. Both drivers were transported to Watauga Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries before being released. All of the vehicles involved sustained extensive damage and are a total loss.
The Boone Police Department Traffic Collision Reconstruction Team began an investigation into the causation of the crash and reconstructing the sequence of events that led up to the fatal collision. This necessitated the closure of US 421 for approximately four hours.
The investigation is on-going and once completed, the findings will be presented to the Watauga County District Attorney’s Office for review and charging consideration.
