4 hospitalized after crash closes New Bern Avenue in Raleigh for hours

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A crash on New Bern Avenue near Old Milburnie Road in Raleigh closed eastbound traffic Tuesday afternoon and sent four people to the hospital.

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Multiple cars were involved in the crash, with one car catching fire.

Four people were taken to WakeMed after the crash.

A WakeMed spokesperson said one person is in critical condition. A second person is listed in fair condition.

Emergency crews taped off both eastbound lanes of New Bern Avenue with crime scene tape and stopped all traffic from moving through the area.

According to authorities, shortly after 12 p.m., the driver of a Toyota Camry was speeding on the westbound side of New Bern Avenue, just before N. Rogers Lane, when the driver lost control and overcorrected, which caused the car to go across the median and into oncoming traffic.

The car hit a Chevrolet Equinox head-on, which was traveling westbound. The impact sent the Equinox into the right lane where it struck a Toyota Sienna.

The Equinox then came to a rest against the guardrail while the Camry caught fire after the head-on impact.

Three people from the Camry were hospitalized. The other person taken to WakeMed was in the Equinox.

Officials said the driver of the Camry suffered the most serious injuries, while the four occupants of the Sienna were not injured.

Mark Kubisky was driving in the area at the time and went to help the victims.

"I saw people just freaking out, screaming, I got out and went to help," Kubisky said. "I saw the guy's head in the window, my first thought is he's got to get loose, 'cause it looks like it was choking him.

"At that time we started seeing fire come out of the engine," Kubisky added. "Someone had an extinguisher and put it out."

Krystal Ratcliff was driving eastbound when the crash happened.

"I'm not quite sure what could have been worse than young kids finding their best friends flipped on their side in a car."

The road reopened shortly after 4:30 p.m.