Driver was talking on his cell phone during deadly interstate crash, NC cops say

A North Carolina man was talking on his cell phone when he crashed into the back of an SUV, killing a woman from Tennessee, according to investigators.

The crash happened about 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 8 on eastbound Interstate 74 near Eastchester Drive, High Point police said in a Dec. 4 news release.

A Hyundai SUV “was either stopped or driving slowly in the middle lane” when a Toyota van driven by 43-year-old Om Naing Tam “crashed into it,” police said.

“The High Point Police Department’s Traffic Unit determined a (van) driver was using a cell phone and failed to slow down to avoid hitting another vehicle,” police said.

Tam, who lives in High Point, has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and unlawful use of a mobile phone, police said.

The deceased driver was identified as Janet Edkins, 67, of Knoxville, Tennessee. She died at the scene, police said.

Edkins is a native of Sheffield, England, who worked as an artist and jewelry designer in the Smoky Mountains, according to Janetedkins.com. She operated the online Beads and Light custom jewelry store.

High Point is about an 80-mile drive northeast from Charlotte.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.