Mother loses both her daughters in horrific car crash

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:21, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 18:23, 13 April 2026 A North Carolina mother lost both of her daughters in a horrific car crash that also left her seriously injured, according to her family.  Carmen Poland, 24, was driving a Chrysler 200 sedan on March 19 in Rocky Mount when she collided with a Ford Transit van around 2pm.  The crash killed Poland and her six-year-old sister, Lillian Davis, the Rocky Mount Police Department said.  Their mother, Melissa Battle, 48, was also in the car at the time and left with critical injuries.  She is currently in the intensive care unit at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, and is expected to be released soon, a GoFundMe page stated.  Battle 'suffered multiple broken bones and significant internal injuries,' and has also been trying to navigate the loss of her children, the fundraiser detailed.  Two men inside the van were injured, but the driver of that vehicle was not, police said.  The cause of the crash remains unknown. The Daily Mail contacted the Rocky Mount Police Department for comment.  Melissa Battle's two daughters, Carmen Poland, 24, and Lillian Davis, six, died in a car crash in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on March 19  Battle, 48, was also in the car at the time and left with critical injuries. She is in the intensive care unit at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville Poland and Davis have been remembered as sisters who had a very close bond that family members described as 'unbreakable'.  Images included in the fundraiser showed the two of them smiling widely next to each other.  Poland also frequently posted pictures with her younger sister on her Facebook page.  The fundraiser was launched to help Battle financially as she deals with her injuries and grief.  The funds will also go toward Poland and Davis' funeral expenses, the page stated.  'No amount is too small—every contribution helps ease the financial burden and allows the family to focus on healing,' it read.  An update on March 29 shared that Battle is 'in good spirits' and should be released from the hospital soon.  'She is still in the ICU and has started physical therapy,' the update stated.  Poland and Davis (pictured) have been remembered as sisters who had a very close bond that family members described as 'unbreakable' Poland was driving a Chrysler 200 sedan when it collided with a Ford Transit van. Two men inside the van were injured, but the driver of that vehicle was not, police said Poland also frequently posted pictures with her younger sister on her Facebook page As of Monday afternoon, more than $16,500 had been raised.  Following their deaths, tributes poured in online for the two sisters.  One loved one wrote on Facebook: 'The city feels this one!!! Rest easy sweet girls!!!'  On April 9, Poland's grandmother, Paula Wooten Poland, shared an image of her alongside her later granddaughter.  'Carmen, Kayla & Mema. Today makes 3 weeks you left us Carmen. We love and miss you. Fly high my beautiful angel,' she wrote.  Davis' grandmother stated: 'Grandma misses you so much my little Lilly bug. I love you so much. I don’t know why you were taken away from us. Only God knows. Rest in peace sweetheart.'  Services for the two sisters are pending, but will be hosted by Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, according to their obituaries.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.