4 teenagers killed in wreck during Hurricane Helene rains, NC State Highway Patrol says

A 4-year-old girl and a 58-year-old man died in wrecks on Charlotte-area roads Thursday during rains spawned by Hurricane Helene.

The girl was killed in a Catawba County head-on wreck about 8:10 a.m., State Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Casey said.

A 2-year-old and a 12-year-old in the vehicles were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Casey said.

Helene’s outer bands had moved into the Charlotte region.

The girl died after the SUV in which she was riding crossed the center line on Boggs Road near Hunsucker Drive about 8:10 a.m., Casey said. The 12-year-old also was in the SUV, he said.

Casey identified the driver as 32-year-old Lyndsey Nicole Gaddis of the town of Catawba. Gaddis was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, the trooper said.

The hospitalized 2-year-old was in an SUV driven by 34-year-old Tiffany Miner Sipe of Claremont, Casey said. Sipe was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. A 4-year-old in the SUV had non-life threatening injuries, Casey said.

Charges are possible once the State Highway Patrol investigation is complete and troopers go over their findings with the Catawba County District Attorney’s Office, Casey said

Boggs Road was closed for about two hours as troopers investigated the collision.

Gastonia death

James Auten, 58, of Forest City died when his car crossed the center line on Union Road about 1 p.m. and hit another car, Gastonia Police spokesman Bill McGinty said.

The cars collided between Niblick Drive and East Hudson Boulevard, McGinty said. Police are still investigating the cause, he said late Thursday afternoon.