Davidson County, NC (September 13, 2026) - Jeremiah Sebastian Johnson of Winston-Salem died at the scene, and two men in a commercial truck were injured, in a head-on collision on Interstate 85 in Davidson County, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Troopers responded around 6:55 p.m. Sunday to the crash in the northbound lanes near mile marker 103, near Thomasville, North Carolina.

According to investigators’ initial findings, a southbound 2012 Honda Accord driven by Johnson left the highway to the left, crossed the median and entered the northbound lanes. The Honda struck a Sygma food distribution truck head-on. The truck overturned in the roadway, and both vehicles came to rest in the median.

The truck driver was identified as Damario L. Ardrey of Pageland, South Carolina. His passenger was Jarius R. Cotton of Charlotte. Davidson County EMS transported both injured men to Thomasville Medical Center for treatment.

The Highway Patrol said the collision was under investigation when the incident was reported.

Work Injury Benefits and Third Party Claims Can Coexist

Damario L. Ardrey’s reported injuries make the interaction between a covered work injury and a possible claim involving another driver relevant to this truck collision. A commercial driver can ask a truck accident lawyer to explain how a proposed third-party settlement would be assessed alongside any workers’ compensation benefits, reimbursement interest and consent requirement that actually applies. The public account does not establish Ardrey’s benefit eligibility.

Under North Carolina General Statute 97-10.2, compensation rights for a covered work injury can coexist with a claim against a liable third party. Those rights are connected financially, however. Compensation payments may create a reimbursement claim against a third-party recovery. A lien, meaning a legal claim against those proceeds, can affect how the recovery is distributed. The proposed settlement total therefore is not necessarily the amount the worker will retain.

Settlement consent requirements can also affect an agreement with the third party. Receiving compensation benefits does not automatically prevent a separate claim, but resolving that claim may require coordination with the compensation interests involved. The distinction is between having both rights and being able to settle one without addressing the other.

Coordinate Compensation Interests Before Accepting a Settlement

For a commercial driver with a covered work injury, ask for the proposed third-party settlement and any asserted compensation repayment amount to be explained together. Identify which benefits were paid for this injury and whether consent is required before an agreement can be completed. Those answers let the worker evaluate what would remain from an offer rather than budgeting around its gross total.

A conversation with Rosensteel Fleishman can focus on the actual benefit history, the asserted reimbursement interest and the proposed agreement. This coordination matters at the decision point before acceptance; it does not mean that Ardrey or anyone else in the reported collision has an established claim or lien.