A two-car wreck on U.S. 258 at Pauls Path sent three people to the hospital Wednesday night.
The accident happened at about 9:19 p.m., according to the N.C. Highway Patrol’s report, Sgt. C. Owens said.
Kevin Lee Potter, 34, of La Grange, ejected from his car after allegedly running a stoplight and hitting another vehicle in the intersection, was pinned under his car when it overturned in a ditch. Potter was later charged with a stoplight violation and careless and reckless.
Potter, who was not wearing a seat belt, was flown by East Care to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. He was listed in disabling condition when he was taken from the scene and in fair condition on Thursday afternoon.
His front-seat passenger, Christina Whitley, 43, of Kinston, was taken to Vidant by Lenoir County Emergency Medical Services with evident injuries.
The other driver, Betty Reyes, 44, of Faison, was traveling north on U.S. 258 when her car was hit in the left front quarter-panel by Potter, who was traveling east on Pauls Path, Owens said.
Reyes was taken to Lenoir Memorial Hospital with evident injuries where she was treated and released.
According to scanner traffic heard over the county’s radio communications, a second helicopter, summoned from Rocky Mount, was not going to be leaving for 15 minutes and was expected to take about 20 minutes to get to LMH. It is not clear which patient was to be picked up by the helicopter that came from Rocky Mount.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.