Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed that Officer Mia Goodwin died in a crash involving four police cars and two tractor trailers. The mother of three had just recently returned from maternity leave.
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According to local ABC affiliate WSOC, the crash happened on Interstate 85 around 3:40 a.m. but it was the second crash in several hours at the same spot.
On Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m. a tractor-trailer crashed and spilled sand all across southbound lanes of I-85.
First responders stayed on scene throughout the night cleaning up the crash. Officer Goodwin was part of a crew that came in Wednesday morning to relieve the initial crew that worked the crash site.
At around 3:40 a.m., two other tractor-trailers crashed while heading southbound on I-85. They then careened into the first responders still working to clean up and secure the original crash site.
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Goodwin died at the scene of that second crash. Three other officers were taken to the hospital, treated for injuries and released.
"We are asking for your prayers--not just for the Goodwin family, but for all the CMPD family and for our great city," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings said during a press conference Wednesday morning.
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