By Corinne Saunders
MANNS HARBOR — The father of the 2-year-old who died in a fiery fatal vehicle collision Thursday, Dec. 12, on the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge connecting Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island is expected to recover.
Brent Jones, 43, of Manns Harbor was hospitalized at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, with life-threatening injuries, and his 2-year-old, Barrett Jones, died at the scene, according to a Tuesday afternoon email from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Master Trooper Rico L. Stephens sent that email, which for the first time named the individuals involved in the collision, to area media outlets.
Jones is expected to remain hospitalized for several more weeks, but is expected to recover, Sgt. D.C. Pridgen of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said in a phone call with Outer Banks Insider on Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s making progress, in stable condition,” Pridgen said.
Elizabeth Moran, 29, of Columbia was hospitalized at Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head “with serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” Stephens wrote in his email.
Moran was treated and released from the hospital, Pridgen said.
Law enforcement charged Moran with failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision and misdemeanor death by vehicle.
Jones was driving east on U.S. Highway 64 in a 1991 Ford Mustang that became disabled on the bridge. Moran, driving a 2023 GMC Acadia, was also traveling east when her vehicle struck the Mustang in the rear.
“The Mustang then caught fire; Moran was able to pull [Brent] Jones out of the Mustang” but was unable to get Barrett Jones out before the vehicle was entirely engulfed in flames, according to Stephens.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the fatal collision at 8:01 a.m. and led the investigation into the incident.
A tragedy bank account has been set up for Jones and his wife, Christi, at State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU).
Anyone can donate to this account in person through any SECU branch in North Carolina by informing credit union employees that they wish to donate to Christi and Brent Jones.
Another option is to donate to the account by sending checks made payable to Christi or Brent Jones in care of SECU to P.O. Box 698, Nags Head, North Carolina 27959.
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