Lumberton Man Charged In Crash That Killed Two

A man from Lumberton has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors in connection to an accident on the morning of July 5 in which two people suffered fatal personal injuries.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that 21-year-old Marshall Clifford Heckled ran a stop sign at a four-way intersection where McQueen Road and Rennert Road meet in Robeson County.

Heckel drove past the sign at an estimated speed of 35 mph and was struck by a northbound pickup truck traveling at an estimated rate of speed of 50 mph. Heckel, driving a 1998 Ford Mustang, was the only one facing a stop sign at the intersection.

The truck’s driver, Lumberton resident Fred Nelson Gibbs, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which occurred shortly before 8 a.m. A passenger in Heckel’s Mustang, 20-year-old Clayton resident Brittany Darylin Graybill, whose Facebook profile lists her as Heckel’s girlfriend, received transport to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

The NCHP’s investigation did not reveal any indication of Gibbs attempting to brake before entering the intersection, according to an accident report. All three people involved were wearing seat belts.