Late-night head-on crash on Summit Avenue near Helen Road kills driver

A 35-year-old Greensboro woman died after a northbound Honda Civic crossed the center line and struck a southbound Toyota Highlander in a head-on collision on Summit Avenue near Helen Road just before midnight Thursday.

“At approximately 11:50 p.m. on Jan. 29, officers responded to the scene near Summit Avenue and Helen Road,” investigators said. “A northbound Honda Civic crossed the center line and collided head-on with a southbound Toyota Highlander. Following the impact, the Honda veered off the road and hit a tree.” The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene. Greensboro Police later identified her as Faith Shalita Mitchell, 35, of Greensboro; initial on-scene reports said the identity was being withheld pending family notification.

The driver of the Toyota was transported to a local hospital for treatment. WGHP reported the Toyota driver was taken by ambulance. Greensboro police said the Crash Reconstruction Unit is continuing the investigation and that there was “no further information available at this time” about contributing factors. News outlets and police have not released details on any charges, the Toyota driver’s condition, or whether other people were involved.

The crash closed Summit Avenue in both directions between Southern Webbing Mill Road and Yarbrough Drive into the early hours of Friday morning, creating an extended traffic disruption on a corridor used by many Guilford County residents. “Summit Avenue was closed in both directions between Southern Webbing Mill Road and Yarbrough Drive into the early hours of Friday morning,” a police release noted, forcing detours for drivers and delaying late-night emergency and commercial traffic.

The Greensboro Police Department’s Crash Reconstruction Unit is leading the technical probe; authorities are asking the public for help. “Anyone with information should contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000,” officials said, and tips may also be submitted through the P3tips app or website. Local law enforcement and public-safety officials routinely rely on witness accounts and video to piece together events in severe collisions, and timely tips can be critical to establishing sequence and cause.

For residents, the collision underscores persistent questions about roadway safety, enforcement, and engineering on busy corridors. With the cause of the center-line crossing not released, issues such as roadway design, lighting, speed enforcement, vehicle condition, and driver impairment remain open and will be central to the reconstruction unit’s findings.

Greensboro police say the investigation is ongoing. Officials have not announced a timeline for releasing further details. Residents with information are asked to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or submit an anonymous tip via the P3tips app or website; local reporters will continue to seek official updates on the Toyota driver’s condition, any charges, and the Crash Reconstruction Unit’s preliminary findings.