Eyewitness was first on scene at deadly Fayetteville crash
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Marvin Portillo lives near Cliffdale Road, not far from Lynhurst Drive in Fayetteville. He had just walked out of his apartment to walk his dog when he heard a loud noise around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
"I heard the screech of the tires and the crumpling of the cars," recalls Portillo.
He started running toward the noise and called 911. When he found the source of the noise, it was a hard scene to take in.
"That's when I started seeing, unfortunately, people on the ground."
He saw three cars had crashed. He first ran over to a Ford Mustang, where he saw two people who may have been thrown from the car. Portillo said he tried talking to the woman on the ground first, but when he didn't get a response, he went over to whom he believes was the driver.
READ MORE: WORST WRECK I'VE EVER SEEN, POLICE CHIEF SAYS
"The car was in smoke and I just asked him how many people are in the car so we knew how many to get out, but he couldn't speak," Portillo said.
Fayetteville Police later identified the driver of that Mustang as Terek Johnson, 22. At last check he was still listed in serious condition at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Three vehicles were involved in this crash and police would later confirm five people were killed. Three others are injured.
WATCH: Exclusive interview with crash survivor Dadrian Thomas
One of the survivors of the crash, Dadrian Thomas, 29, describes seeing one car, crossing over the lanes, and coming right for him, hitting his front driver side.
"I was coming down the road and a car was in the air and it came and hit me," Thomas said.
Though Thomas survived, he had to have part of his ear reattached.
At this time police are still trying to notify family of all the victims so they have only released a few names, including Johnson and Thomas.
Shannah Botts, 33, did not survive. Police say she was behind the wheel of a Kia. Loved ones said she was only a few miles from home and was coming back from the gym. She leaves behind three small children.
No charges have been filed yet as police are still investigating, but they do believe speed was a contributing factor to the accident.
Anyone with information concerning the fatal crash is asked to contact the Fayetteville Police Department's Traffic Unit at (910) 433-1830 or Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477).
Crimestoppers information can also be submitted online by completing the anonymous online tip sheet or by text-a-tip on your mobile device by sending a message to 274637 (in the text box type "4Tip" followed by your message).
WATCH: ABC11 raw video from the scene
