A man who allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death died in a fiery crash with a line of parked semi trucks just 30 minutes after committing the crime, police say.
The incident happened on Monday, August 22nd in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
According to the Fayetteville Police Department, 53-year-old John Lee Douglas stabbed his girlfriend, 44-year-old Tanisha Donnette Raeford, at about 8:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Shiloh Court. Approximately 30 minutes later, Douglas was found dead inside of his pickup truck in the area of AB Carter and John B. Carter roads in Cumberland County – a 24 minute drive from the site of the crime. No other injuries were reported.
Douglas died in an apparent wreck with a line of semi trucks parked in the woodline at the end of AB Carter Road where it meets John B Carter Road. Daniel Rhone, who owns one of the semi truck’s damaged in the wreck, says his truck was full of lumber and instantly caught fire in the collision.
“He was driving the pickup truck and didn’t stop at all,” Rhone said to The Fayetteville Observer. “It was fully engulfed, my truck, his [Douglas’] truck and my friend’s truck.”
“I guess the flames from mine sort of accidentally carried over to the one down the side,” he said. “But he actually hit mine head-on, almost.”
Rhone says that he and his friends parked their rigs there after getting permission from a family friend who owns the property. Rhone was only about four miles down the road when his friend called him to report the incident. By the time Rhone arrived back at the trucks, first responders were already there battling the flames, but it was too late for two of the trucks. Douglas’ body was still inside the burning pickup when Rhone arrived on the scene.
“I’m going through the insurance process,” Rhone said of the incident.
Police have not released whether they believe that Douglas intentionally drove into the parked rigs. Anyone with information on the stabbing and wreck is asked to contact Detective J. Olson at 910-709-1958 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-8477.