A tragic series of events happened in Durham County Sunday evening, leaving multiple people dead after a high-speed crash that followed a reported exchange of gunfire between two vehicles.
According to the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched around 6:30 p.m. to the area near the 8200 block of Ball Road after receiving reports that individuals inside two separate vehicles were firing shots at one another.
A deputy responding to the call soon spotted the suspect vehicles traveling north along Roxboro Street. When an attempt was made to initiate a traffic stop, both vehicles reportedly sped off at a high rate of speed.
Moments later, while searching for the fleeing suspects, the deputy came upon a catastrophic multi-vehicle collision near Roxboro Street and Latta Road. The crash involved at least three vehicles, including a black SUV with major front-end damage and another car that appeared completely demolished.
Several individuals were pronounced dead at the scene, though the exact number of fatalities has not been disclosed. Officials say they are withholding the identities of the victims until their families can be notified.
The second vehicle connected to the initial gunfire incident has not yet been located, and the individuals inside that car remain at large.
The Durham County Sheriff’s Office has launched an active investigation and is urging anyone with information about the shooting or the crash to come forward.
—Was Mercedes Toledo-Goss one of the shooters?
—Who was the mysterious driver in the car with Mercedes Toledo-Goss?
—Who were the shooters in the other car?