WILKES COUNTY, N.C. (THECOUNT) — Alberto Maya Benitez, 48, of Yadkinville, was killed Saturday afternoon when the dump truck he was driving plunged from a bridge on U.S. 421 in Wilkes County, northwestern North Carolina. Troopers said another vehicle was attempting to merge onto the highway when Benitez swerved to avoid it.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the crash happened at approximately 12:18 p.m. Nov. 14, near the Dennyville Road exit at the 270-mile marker in Ronda.
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Benitez was driving a white Freightliner dump truck eastbound in the right lane when another vehicle attempted to merge onto U.S. 421. The truck driver swerved to avoid contact with the merging vehicle, according to investigators.
The dump truck left the roadway to the left, struck a guardrail and the end of a bridge, then went over the edge and landed on Dennyville Road below.
Benitez died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt, and troopers said alcohol was not a contributing factor in the crash.
The vehicle attempting to merge did not make contact with the dump truck. The Highway Patrol said the district attorney will be contacted regarding possible charges against that vehicle’s driver.
The crash occurred in Ronda, eastern Wilkes County, along U.S. 421 near the Dennyville Road interchange, east of Wilkesboro and northwest of Winston-Salem.
Google Maps: Dennyville Road area (approximate location)
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