Harrisburg, PA : Greenville woman killed in I-95 wreck on Sunday, January 15th 2017

A Greenville woman was killed in Wilson County early Sunday when state troopers say she backed onto Interstate 95 North and an oncoming SUV struck her vehicle, causing it to burst into flames.

Neela Sai Desraj, 24, had been parked along the I-95 shoulder when Trooper J.A. Harris of the N.C. Highway Patrol said it appears she “backed up into both lanes of traffic” around 2:12 a.m. near mile marker 117.

A northbound 2017 Jeep Wrangler driven by 24-year-old L’Danel-Dan Benhacoun of Quebec, Canada, smashed into the rear passenger side of Desraj’s SUV, Harris said.

The BMW came to rest in a ditch beneath the I-95 shoulder. Troopers believe Desraj was killed on impact and was not alive when fire engulfed the vehicle.

Highway Patrol reports list Desraj as a resident of Audubon, Pennsylvania. Her Facebook profile lists Audubon as her hometown and says she lived in Greenville, where she was engaged to a local psychiatrist. Desraj had attended M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore, India.

Medics rushed Benhacoun and his passenger, 22-year-old Yaniv Meir Benhacoun, to WakeMed Health’s Raleigh hospital. Harris said the brothers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. L’Danel-Dan had surgery perfomed on his leg and Yaniv received treatment for cuts and bruises.

Troopers didn’t know why Desraj had backed onto the highway. Harris said impairment was not believed to be a factor in the crash.

A preliminary investigation gauged the Jeep’s speed at slightly above the posted speed limit of 70 mph. L’Danel-Dan Benhacoun was cited for failure to wear a seat belt. Harris said his brother was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Contentnea and Rock Ridge firefighters extinguished the burning BMW. Photos captured by passerby Danielle Whitehurst show an orange ball of flames rising from beneath the highway shoulder.

Troopers closed the left lane of I-95 North for about 2 ½ hours while first responders mopped up the wreckage.

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Greenville woman killed in I-95 wreck