Jonathan Perry Jr, Alaina Mathews Obituary, Death – A deadly wrong-way crash on Interstate 40 in south Raleigh early Sunday morning led to the closure of a major section of the highway for several hours, police said.
According to the Raleigh Police Department, officers responded to the crash just before 4 a.m. near exit 295 for Gorman Street. Two people, identified as 27-year-old Jonathan Perry Jr. and 37-year-old Alaina Mathews, were killed in the collision.
Investigators determined that Perry was driving the wrong way on I-40 East when the crash occurred. He was operating a 2006 Lexus IS250 westbound in the eastbound lanes when he collided head-on with a 2024 Volkswagen Taos driven by Mathews.
Preliminary findings suggest that Perry mistakenly turned right from Gorman Street and entered the I-40 eastbound ramp in the wrong direction. Evidence at the scene indicated that Mathews tried to swerve in an attempt to avoid the crash, but the impact was unavoidable.
Officers reported detecting the odor of alcohol on Perry and discovered an open container at his feet inside the vehicle. Toxicology results from the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services are still pending to confirm whether impairment played a role in the crash.
The severity of the collision forced authorities to shut down all lanes of I-40 East between exits 293/US-1 and 295 for more than five hours while emergency crews worked at the scene. CBS 17 reported that investigators examined the wreckage while traffic was directed onto the highway shoulder to bypass the crash site safely.
After both heavily damaged vehicles were towed away, all lanes of I-40 East reopened around 9:45 a.m., restoring normal traffic flow.
The investigation into the circumstances of the crash is ongoing as authorities work to determine the full details of the tragic accident.