SPENCER — Authorities say the driver in a crash that killed three adults and three children here on Jan. 18 was speeding 37 mph over the posted limit.
The crash on South Rowan Avenue, near 11th Street, involved a 2002 GMC Envoy carrying nine people.
The driver, Angela Monique Dunlap, 28, was traveling 67 miles per hour on South Rowan Avenue, where the posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour, according to Spencer Police.
The speed of the vehicle when it struck the first tree was approximately 57 miles per hour, Spencer Police Chief Michael James said in a statement.
Spencer Police Sgt. M.N. Brigman said the SUV hit the small tree right before it crashed sideways into a larger tree. The vehicle immediately caught fire.
Brigman said he could confirm there was alcohol present in the vehicle but will have to wait for toxicology reports to determine if anyone was intoxicated. Officials are awaiting complete reports from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh.
First responders said there were people inside and outside the vehicle when they arrived at the scene.
Dunlap was killed along with Vincent Eugene McNeal, 45; Sean Javon Jacobs, 25; Da’Ja Cathcart, 10; Taliah Williams, 8; and Karizma Nichole Sexton, 4.
The family of Taliah Williams removed her from life support a day after the collision.
Twins Davion and Javion Williams, 6, were seriously injured and sent to Brenner’s Children Hospital in Winston-Salem. On Monday, the twins’ uncle Derrick Williams told the Post that Davion was to be discharged later in the day from the hospital.
Javion has shown good signs and has tried to open his eyes, according to the nurses, Derrick Williams said.
But hospital officials say Javion is still in critical condition.
Dunlap was the mother of Da’Ja, Taliah, Davion and Javion.
The speed calculations were obtained from the vehicle’s onboard computer that records crash data. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol assisted in the retrieval of the data.
Charles Patrick, 10, of Salisbury, was treated for minor injuries. His uncle, Sean Jacobs, was the only person in the vehicle who was wearing a seat belt, officials have said.

Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.