19-year-old mother killed when speeding car slams into tree, troopers say

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Troopers are investigating after they said speed played a role in a crash that killed a 19-year-old mother, Chelsea Buchanan, early Wednesday morning in Burke County.

Just got this photo of Chelsea Buchanan who died in a crash west of Morganton. Family left flowers at the scene pic.twitter.com/ZThjHahPm5
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) July 12, 2017

The wreck happened around 5:30 a.m., when a car slammed into a tree at a high rate of speed at the club house for the East Shore neighborhood on Lake James.

[IMAGES: 19-year-old mother killed in Burke County crash]

"It was really loud and going really fast,” neighbor Gina Detz said. “It woke me up. This is really sad. It is really heartbreaking."

The Highway Patrol said the impact was so severe that the engine came out of the vehicle.

"We feel for the family and will try to find out why it happened like it did,” 1st Sgt. Brian Joines said. “But sometimes you don't know, and you may never know.”

One of the wrecker drivers on the scene told Channel 9 that the crash was one of the worst he'd ever responded to.

Residents told Channel 9 that most people drive between 20-25 mph through the neighborhood, but investigators said the car was going three times the speed limit.

Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty could see skid marks and bushes knocked over at the far end of the neighborhood as well as the badly damaged tree where the crash happened.