The man behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer that crashed and killed five people in 2024 along I-95 in Wilson County pleaded guilty on Friday to charges stemming from the crash.
According to court documents, Charles Haskell, 53, of Las Vegas, Nev., pleaded guilty to five counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. He could spend up to 150 days in jail for those charges.
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Haskell was driving the tractor-trailer on July 24, 2024, along I-95 near Kenly when troopers said he failed to stop for slow-moving traffic. Haskell then rolled into four other vehicles – a Chevy Tahoe, a Toyota RAV-4 and two other tractor-trailers – forcing them off the road.
Haskell's tractor-trailer then stopped and caught on fire. Some of the tractor-trailers involved in the crash were carrying eggs, orange juice and sand, which spilled onto the interstate.
According to state troopers the following five people died in the crash:
- Edward Davis, 68, of Greenville
- Martha Davis, 69, of Greenville
- Linda Whitehurst, 80, of Robersonville
- William Tucker, 72, of Hephzibah, Ga.
- Elizabeth Tucker, 66, of Hephzibah, Ga.
Edward Davis, Martha Davis and Linda Whitehurst were in the Rav-4, while William and Elizabeth Tucker were in the Tahoe. Haskell and the other two truck drivers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Haskell was arrested after being released from the hospital
An August 2025 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report later determined that Haskell received a text message on July 24, 2024, while he was driving north on I-95. Less than a minute later, Haskell made a call. Another call to 911 was made less than a minute after that, the NTSB report said.
The timing of Haskell’s call to 911 matched an Apple crash notification made to the Wilson County Emergency Communications Center. Apple crash detection is a feature included in iPhone models 14 and newer and Apple Watch Series 8 or newer, which automatically calls emergency personnel after a 20-second delay to report a detected crash.
It’s unclear if Haskell was holding his phone during the crash or if he was using it hands-free. The NTSB said he had his iPhone with him after the crash.