A tragic 3-vehicle wreck over the weekend in McDowell County resulted in three deaths. North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Rohn Silvers reported that on Saturday, October 29th, around 12:03 p.m., a 2005 Toyota SUV driven by Eleke Chief Ijioma, age 69, of Spartanburg, South Carolina was traveling south on US-64 when it appears to have crossed the centerline, colliding with a Volkswagen that was heading north on US-64. The Volkswagen was driven by Charles Albert Bonic, age 67, of Rutherfordton. His wife, Kathleen Cecilia Bonic, age 77 was a passenger in the front seat. Silvers says a third vehicle, a 2017 Nissan car driven by Christopher John Davis, age 21, of Caesar, North Carolina, was following directly behind the Volkswagen and went left of center in an attempt to avoid colliding with either vehicle. He then made contact with the SUV driven by Ijioma. Ijioma died on the way to the hospital by ambulance, Kathleen Bonic died at the scene of the collision and Charles Bonic died at Mission Hospital in Asheville. Davis, who was the driver of the Nissan, received minor injuries and was transported to Grace Hospital. The only known cause of the accident was the Toyota SUV, driven by Ijioma, crossed the center line.
