RONDA––A Ronda woman is dead, following a collision in Wilkes County on Sunday afternoon.

According to Master Trooper Christopher Casey of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol in a same-day statement, at about 3:25 p.m., NCSHP personnel responded to and investigated the incident on Hoots Road at Austin Little Mountain Road. A 2007 Ford “Fusion,” travelling northwest on Hoots Road, failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign and was struck by a 1996 Ford “F-250” that was travelling southwest on Austin Little Mountain Road.

Casey continues that the driver of the “Fusion,” Clara Roberts Adams, 84, of State Road, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by EMS to an area hospital. Her sister, Edith Roberts Luffman, 91, of Ronda, who was a passenger, was also transported by EMS to an area hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The driver of the “F-250,” John Merritt Wilkerson, 18, of Lowgap, was not injured, as Casey informs.

“The initial investigation does not indicate impairment or speed as contributing factors to the collision,” he adds. “During the on-scene investigation, the roadway was partially closed in the area for approximately two hours. Possible charges are pending upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Wilkes County District Attorney’s Office.”