Skip to content
Triangle Local

Johnston County

Johnston County: Wrong-way driver killed in head-on crash with vacuum truck on U.S. 70

The Highway Patrol said an SUV going west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 hit a commercial vacuum truck early Monday between Selma and Wilson's Mills. The SUV driver died at the scene and has not been named.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published · Updated

The Johnston County courthouse in Smithfield

File photo: Ammodramus (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • An SUV going west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 hit a commercial vacuum truck early Monday between Selma and Wilson's Mills.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17
  • The crash was reported around 2:19 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, near mile marker 333.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17
  • The vacuum truck was heading east when the SUV came at it from the opposite direction. The two vehicles collided head-on in the left eastbound lane.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17
  • After the impact, the vacuum truck came to rest in the left lane, still facing east. The SUV hit a guardrail, caught fire, and came to rest facing south.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report. CBS 17 also reported the SUV hitting a guardrail, catching fire and coming to rest facing south
  • The SUV driver died at the scene and has not been named.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17
  • The vacuum truck was driven by Sampson Brown Tillery Jr., 35, of Raleigh. Tillery had minor injuries and was taken to UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17
  • Troopers said Tillery was wearing a seat belt and was not impaired, and that speed was not a factor for him.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report. CBS 17 also reported that Tillery was wearing a seat belt
  • U.S. 70 was closed for about six hours while troopers investigated and crews cleared the scene. The highway reopened around 8 a.m.Confirmed by N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17

Still unknown

  • The name of the SUV driver
  • How the SUV entered the eastbound lanes
  • Whether anyone will be charged
  • Further details from the Highway Patrol's ongoing investigation

What this means for you

Roads
U.S. 70 was closed for about six hours while troopers investigated and crews cleared the scene. The highway reopened around 8 a.m.

U.S. 70 — Head-on crash near mile marker 333. U.S. 70 was closed for about six hours.

Loading map...

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

What happened

The N.C. State Highway Patrol said an SUV going west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 hit a commercial vacuum truck early Monday between Selma and Wilson's Mills. The SUV driver died at the scene and has not been named.

The crash was reported around 2:19 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, near mile marker 333, the Highway Patrol said, as reported by JoCo Report and CBS 17. Troopers said the vacuum truck was heading east when the SUV came at it from the opposite direction. The two vehicles collided head-on in the left eastbound lane.

After the impact, troopers said, the vacuum truck came to rest in the left lane, still facing east. The SUV hit a guardrail, caught fire, and came to rest facing south. The SUV driver died at the scene. Authorities said Monday that the driver had not been identified.

The vacuum truck was driven by Sampson Brown Tillery Jr., 35, of Raleigh, JoCo Report and CBS 17 reported, citing troopers. Tillery had minor injuries and was taken to UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield. Troopers said he was wearing a seat belt and was not impaired, and that speed was not a factor for him.

U.S. 70 was closed for about six hours while troopers investigated and crews cleared the scene. The highway reopened around 8 a.m.

CBS 17 also reported the Highway Patrol's account. We have not found a Highway Patrol post or news release we could read.

What we don't know yet

Troopers have not named the SUV driver. They have not said how the SUV entered the eastbound lanes, or whether anyone will be charged. They said the investigation is ongoing.

What happens next

We will update this story if the Highway Patrol names the SUV driver, posts its own account, or says more about how the crash happened.

Why it matters

U.S. 70 is a main highway through Johnston County. A wrong-way crash between Selma and Wilson's Mills closed it for about six hours Monday morning, and troopers have not said how the SUV entered the eastbound lanes.

Updates

  1. Oct 12, 2026, 2:19 AM

    An SUV going west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 hits a commercial vacuum truck near mile marker 333 between Selma and Wilson's Mills. The SUV driver dies at the scene.

Sources

  1. N.C. State Highway Patrol, as reported by JoCo Report: SUV going west in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 70 hit a commercial vacuum truck early Monday between Selma and Wilson's Mills; crash reported around 2:19 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, near mile marker 333; SUV driver died at the scene and has not been named; vacuum truck driver Sampson Brown Tillery Jr., 35, of Raleigh, had minor injuries and was taken to UNC Health Johnston in Smithfield; U.S. 70 closed about six hours and reopened around 8 a.m. (JoCo Report)

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. State Highway Patrol, via JoCo Report · Checked Oct 13, 2026, 10:55 AM

  2. One dead after driver hits commercial truck in Johnston County (Highway Patrol account; crash around 2:19 a.m. Monday near mile marker 333; SUV going west in the eastbound lanes; Tillery Jr., 35, of Raleigh, minor injuries; SUV driver unnamed and dead at the scene; U.S. 70 closed about six hours and reopened around 8 a.m.)

    Published by CBS 17 (WNCN) · Checked Oct 13, 2026, 4:45 PM

Related stories