A 1-month old baby died over the weekend after a serious 3-vehicle crash just southeast of Tabor City, NC on Friday afternoon, NC Highway Patrol Troopers say.
The crash happened around 12:30 pm Friday when a family with two children in car seats strapped in the back of a Honda was heading east on NC 904 and collided into the back of a Waste Management garbage truck, said NC Trooper D.P. Tubbs.
The Honda, which ended up partially in the oncoming lane, was hit seconds later on the side — near the back door — by another vehicle heading westbound at Cox Subdivision Road, less than a mile from the SC state line, Tubbs said.
Noah Lee Nealey, the baby that was on the driver’s side was eventually flown to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, where he died on Saturday, said Tubbs of the Whiteville, NC office of the NC Highway Patrol.
“Most of the impact (from the second vehicle) was where the infant was seated,” Tubbs told News13.
Noah Lee Nealey, the infant son of Curtis Devon “Justin” Nealey Jr. and Jana Helms Nealey was in the car with a 2-year-old sibling in the backseat, Tubbs said.
CPR was performed on Noah for nearly 30 minutes until the one of five ambulances came to the scene, Tubbs said.
Noah’s mom, Jana Nealey, had to be freed by “the jaws of life” by the Tabor City Fire Department.
Noah was first taken to McLeod Loris Hospital, but later in the afternoon was flown to the Florence hospital, Tubbs said.
All of the Nealey family was also taken to area hospitals by ambulances, as was the driver of the garbage truck and in the other car that hit the Honda.
Only the baby appeared to have life-threatening injuries, Tubbs said.
Inman Ward Funeral Home of Tabor City is handling the arrangements for the Nealey family.
Friends and family have also set up a GoFundMe web page for the family to help pay for medical and funeral expenses.
