Two teens killed in separate car wrecks

RALEIGH West Johnston High School principal Brookie Honeycutt confirms Ariel Hughes, 17, was killed in an overnight wreck in Garner.

Troopers say the accident happened around 4:32 a.m. Saturday in the 8400 block of White Oak Road, near a bridge that crosses I-40, when the driver of the vehicle tried to avoid hitting a deer.

They say Hughes, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was not wearing a seatbelt.

Troopers tell Eyewitness News the vehicle was being driven by Shantoya Howard, 17, whose condition is not yet known.

Officials haven't released other details.

Hughes is the third student from West Johnston to die in two months.

Meanwhile, Lee County High School principal Greg Batten confirms Josh Britt, 17, died in a collision in Sanford late Friday night on U.S. 1 Northbound.

In that accident, Sanford Police say Anthony Boswell, 48, was in the wrong lane of traffic with no lights on, when Britt came along and collided with his vehicle head-on.

Boswell also died in the crash.

Batten confirmed Britt was a member of the varsity football team, and a very popular student.

He called the death a tragedy for the school community, and said counselors will be at the school Monday to help students.

"He has a large group of friends across the school spectrum," Batten said. "[His family is] in shock, but they are doing as well as expected. They have a very strong support group around them, but it will take a long time to get through this."

Police believe drugs and/or alcohol may have played a role in the crash.

A funeral for Britt has been moved to the Dennis Wicker Civic Center in Sanford. It will be held on Wednesday at 4 p.m., a burial will follow on Thursday morning.

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