Troopers said it happened around 1 p.m. Wednesday on McKendree Church Road south of Tarboro.
Sgt. Bryan Corey was driving a department Ford F-150 towing an impound vehicle to a salvage yard on a tow dolly when it broke loose.
The vehicle under tow crossed the center line and hit a car head-on.
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Authorities say one of the two occupants of the car, an unidentified woman, was killed while the other occupant, an unidentified male, was taken to Vidant Hospital with serious life-threatening injuries.
Sgt. Cory was not hurt.
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"Please keep the family of the victim and all parties involved in the wreck in your thoughts and prayers," said Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland "Clee" Atkinson Jr. in a statement.