The night was already quiet in Fayetteville when everything changed in an instant. Tyronesha Shanae Sherlock-Benton, a 36-year-old woman known for her warmth and presence, lost her life in a devastating crash that has left a deep ache across her community.
It happened just before midnight on April 24, 2026. Police were called to the intersection of Raeford Road and the I-295 south entrance ramp around 11:47 p.m. What they found was a single-vehicle crash that quickly turned into a heartbreaking scene.
Investigators say Tyronesha was behind the wheel of a 2013 Dodge Charger, heading eastbound at a high rate of speed. As she tried to make a right turn onto the I-295 southbound ramp, the vehicle could not hold the turn. In seconds, control was lost, and the crash followed.
Emergency crews moved fast, doing everything they could. But the injuries were too severe. Tyronesha was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a silence that no siren could fill.
Inside the car was a passenger, 26-year-old Mikayla Love Langhirt. She survived the crash and was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Doctors say she is in stable condition, though the emotional weight of that night is something no medical chart can measure.
Police have notified Tyronesha’s family, who are now facing the kind of grief that arrives without warning and refuses to leave quietly. Loved ones remember her as more than just a name. She was someone who brought laughter, who showed up for people, who made ordinary moments feel meaningful.
The investigation is still ongoing, with authorities asking anyone who may have seen something to come forward. But for many, the facts matter less than the loss itself. A life full of stories has come to an abrupt end, and the space she leaves behind is impossible to ignore.
Now, Fayetteville pauses to remember Tyronesha not for how she died, but for how she lived. In the memories of those who knew her, she remains present, vivid, and deeply missed.
