By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A Faith woman’s legs were severed in a traffic collision Tuesday when she swerved to miss another vehicle and was thrown from her own vehicle, authorities said.

N.C. State Highway Patrol Trooper C.F. Rogers said Melissa Hipp, 43, also suffered a head injury. The wreck occurred about 2:30 p.m. at Crescent Road near Faith Road.

Rogers said the investigation continues into what happened, but investigators believe the other driver traveled left of center and Hipp swerved to miss the car.

Hipp appears to have run off the road to the right and through a yard. Her car overturned twice and, during one of those rotations, she was ejected from her PT Cruiser. She came into contact with a transformer on top of a utility pole.

The trooper said Hipp was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the other car left the scene and returned, but then left before law enforcement officers arrived.

Investigators are trying to determine if both the other driver and Hipp were impaired, Rogers said.

Charges are pending.

Hipp was flown by helicopter to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.