A head-on collision between a car and a Jeep led to a chain of events that killed a Wilkes man last night. Highway Patrol Trooper K-W Dean says the wreck that killed Don Michael Mitchell happened about 6:45 p-m on Boone Trail near West Wilkes High School.



Mitchell was eastbound on Boone Trail and drifted across the center line. The driver of a westbound Toyota saw it happen, and tried to avoid hitting him. But he swerved back into his own lane at the last second, hitting the Toyota nearly head-on.



That crash spun Mitchell's Jeep around and rolled it on one side, with the roof facing oncoming traffic. Less than a minute later, a third car, driven by Ronnie Lee Moore, rounded the curve and was unable to stop in time to keep from hitting the Jeep. Mitchell had to be extricated from the S-U-V, and was pronounced dead at Wilkes Regional Medical Center a short time later.



The driver of the Toyota in the original crash, Carissa Smitty, suffered some broken bones, and at last check was in serious condition. Moore and his passenger Ruby White were treated and released at Wilkes Regional.



Trooper Dean says it's unclear right now what caused Mitchell to drift left of center in the first place. The other drivers did all they could to avoid the resulting crashes.

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