Carmen Elizabeth Poland Dies in Rocky Mount Car Accident
Tragic two-vehicle collision on Sunset Avenue claims two lives in Edgecombe County
Carmen Elizabeth Poland, 24, of Rocky Mount, and a 6-year-old child died in a two-vehicle crash on Sunset Avenue near Church View Drive on Thursday, March 19, 2026, police said. Three other people were injured.
The crash happened around 2 p.m. between a Chrysler 200 sedan and a Ford Transit van, according to the Rocky Mount Police Department.
Rescuers found three people in the sedan and three in the van. A woman from the sedan was taken to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville with serious injuries.
Two passengers from the van were treated for minor injuries at UNC Nash Health Care. The driver of the Ford Transit was not injured. The crash remains under investigation, police said.
The Rocky Mount Police Department Traffic Enforcement and Crash Reconstruction Unit is leading the technical investigation into the collision. Specialized units remained at the scene for several hours Thursday afternoon to map tire marks and document vehicle resting positions to determine the point of impact. While the investigation remains active and no charges have been filed as of Friday, police are requesting that any witnesses or individuals with dashcam footage contact the Rocky Mount Police Department at 252-972-1411.
National Legal Analyst Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Legal, noted that "I've seen families blindsided by how quickly a simple commute turns into a heartbeat of loss. It's devastating that left-turn crashes account for over twenty percent of all fatal intersection accidents."
Under North Carolina's wrongful death statute (N.C.G.S. § 28A-18-2), the administrator of a deceased person's estate may bring a legal action if the death was caused by a wrongful act, neglect, or default of another. The state follows a strict contributory negligence rule, which generally bars a plaintiff from recovering damages if they are found to be even slightly at fault for the incident.
Surviving family members may seek compensation for funeral expenses, medical bills incurred prior to death, and the loss of the deceased's local companionship and services. For injured survivors, personal injury claims can address healthcare costs and long-term recovery needs, provided the action is filed within the two-year statute of limitations for wrongful death or three years for personal injury.