FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — For the Fayetteville community, Wednesday evening’s darkness now carries a weight of sorrow. At 5:51 p.m. on October 29, 2025, 22-year-old Trenton Wayne Thompson lost his life in a violent collision that has shaken friends, family, and neighbors to their core.
Trenton had been riding his black 2014 Yamaha motorcycle south on Gillespie Street, approaching the intersection near Southern Avenue and the NCDOT Transportation Office. Simultaneously, a gray 2015 Chevy Equinox driven by 43-year-old Hector Elias-Burgos attempted to turn left toward Southern Avenue. In that split second, the Equinox crossed paths with the Yamaha—and the resulting impact hurled Trenton and his bike onto the pavement in a brutal crash.
But the tragedy didn’t stop there. The force spun the Equinox into a waiting red 2005 GMC Envoy, driven by 65-year-old Larry Wayne Barber, who had been paused at the intersection preparing to turn. Barber was unharmed in the collision, but the damage rippled outward—and worsened the moment.
Emergency crews raced to the scene. Paramedics transported Trenton to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where medical staff mounted aggressive life-saving efforts. Despite their best attempts, the young man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. His passing has left a hole in countless hearts—family, friends, classmates—and in a city now forced to reckon with sudden grief.
Elias-Burgos himself, along with his passenger—35-year-old Edwin Colon—suffered minor injuries and received treatment. Neither the driver of the Equinox nor Barber fled; both remained on scene and cooperated fully with Fayetteville Police.
Authorities emphasize that the crash remains under active investigation. They are asking anyone with information to reach out to Detective Deal at 910-584-3692, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously, should they prefer.
In the quiet that now follows, Fayetteville mourns the loss of a young man described by loved ones as full of laughter, dreams, and love. He was a son, a friend, and someone whose future stretched wide with promise—cut short in a shocking instant. The community holds tight to memories of his warm presence even as they struggle to absorb the emptiness his absence now leaves.
