Early Sunday morning in Lincoln County, North Carolina, a devastating wrong-way collision on U.S. Highway 16 near NC 73 claimed the lives of two men and left a child fighting for recovery. At approximately 12:40 a.m., a 2006 Acura RSX being driven northbound in the southbound lanes collided head-on with a 2014 Nissan Altima. Both vehicles burst into flames after the impact.
The driver of the Acura was identified as 32-year-old Rashann Jakeem Curmon of Charlotte; he died at the scene. A child who had been a passenger in his vehicle was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. The driver of the Nissan, 50-year-old Steven J. Sweda, also of Charlotte, was pronounced dead on the spot.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Acura was traveling north in the southbound lanes of NC 16 when it struck the Nissan head-on. The force of the impact caused both vehicles to ignite. The crash site was on NC 16 South, near its intersection with NC 73, just outside the community of Denver.
Investigators say their initial findings did not show speed or impairment as contributing factors; that means there was no indication at this stage that either driver was intoxicated or driving at extreme speeds. The southbound lanes of NC 16 were shut down for approximately three hours while troopers conducted the scene investigation and cleared the wreckage.
Families of both men are now mourning a sudden and unimaginable loss. Curmon and Sweda were both from Charlotte, and the ripple effects of this tragedy are being felt by loved ones, first-responders and the community at large. Meanwhile, the young child remains hospitalized, uncertain when a full recovery might be achieved.
The crash has prompted grief and reflection in the quiet early-hour hours on what is ordinarily a peaceful stretch of roadway. Residents and commuters along NC 16 express shock, especially as the investigation works to determine how the Acura came to be traveling the wrong way. Experts say wrong-way collisions are rare but often deadly, and this one underscores how quickly the most routine drive can end in tragedy.
Troopers with the Highway Patrol have urged motorists to remain alert, especially in low-visibility conditions or when driving late at night. While their investigation continues, they hope the broader public will recognize the risks and the fragility of life behind the wheel. As the community reads through brief crash bulletins and sees emergency lights fade, families in two homes will never again hear a knock, a voice or a laugh from someone they loved.