Found Deceased NC - Stephanie Mayorga, 27, & Paige Escalera, 25, Wilmington, 15 Apr 2020

[Sayana]

911 call released

The North Carolina Beat

 

[carbuff]

Agree -- this may not have been an accident, but how could anyone or any investigation prove accident vs. purposeful with no brake marks?
Re brakes -- if if was, or had been, raining, the car could have hydroplaned which would have made braking no help.
The "high-speed" part of it is disturbing. Can that be proved w/o brake marks if there are none? Some cars have a "black-box" type thing, but this is usually only on high-performance and expensive vehicles. If high-speeding, why? Maybe the level of damage to the car could be examined to determine the likely speed of impact. An accident investigator can do amazing things. Many LE depts have crash investigators that can do some amazing things.
Still lotsa work to do -- let's hope.
Oh, their poor parents...
May they both rest in peace.

re: speeding

In many accidents, the impact of the crash will cause the speedometer to break. It'll usually display whatever it was showing at the point of impact. It's usually not a completely accurate reading because if the wheels leave the ground, they start to turn faster, but that combined with the other things you mention, like impact, will give them a pretty good idea.

The mere fact that the car went so far into the woods indicates a high rate of speed.

It doesn't look like a likely spot for a deliberate action. It's not like running off a cliff or into a wall--unless they thought that wall was big enough to stop them? Maybe. Hard to say.

Such a terrible terrible tragedy, however it happened.

 

[spangled]

Steph & Paige (@paigingthemayos) • Instagram photos and videos

Joint insta. They look pretty happy to me. Maybe high spirits and not paying full attention. Absolutely devastating

 

[McSpy]

I have to wonder if that part of the woods has a lot of kudzu. It's hard to find vehicles/bodies in areas overrun with kudzu, just as it is hard to find wrecks/bodies in areas of the PNW that have heavy blackberry, raspberry, and salmonberry infestations.

I’m thinking the same way. I can’t even keep my yard clear of those vines. Everything grows fast this time of year.

 

[McSpy]

Glad the girls were finally found.
Not sure they were going 100 mph, but if you clipped a wall or structure and lost control of the car I can see how they ended up where they did. If the car went head on with a wall it would not have veered off, so if it only hit one side and kept going, how is it high velocity? Very confusing. Both are still in the car, no attempts to get out? This was not a head on collision. So both are found, still in the car, not car parts strewn around on the road or on the tracks into the woods! No broken lights or anything!!
MOO

If they hit a tree or anything hard at a high speed, their aortas could have torn away from their hearts— so they could have bled to death internally. This is a common internal injury suffered in car crashes. Other organs can tear away from the impact too. It is caused by G forces from a collision with anything. Although, we don’t know if they were wearing seat belts or if the airbags went off.

 

[McSpy]

These are photos of the area the cars were pulled from according to the NC Beats News that was live earlier


Exclusive photo show where bodies of Paige Escalera and Stephanie Mayorga was found - The North Carolina Beat

Is there a deep gully beside the road? The whole area has a lot of deep gullies for water drainage. I’m thinking they could have hit one of them hard and then they flew into the woods. Makes me wonder if the car was upside down when they finally found it.

 

[carbuff]

Steph & Paige (@paigingthemayos) • Instagram photos and videos

Joint insta. They look pretty happy to me. Maybe high spirits and not paying full attention. Absolutely devastating

That would be my guess. Heartbreaking.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

No brake marks.

Is there a deep gully beside the road? The whole area has a lot of deep gullies for water drainage. I’m thinking they could have hit one of them hard and then they flew into the woods. Makes me wonder if the car was upside down when they finally found it.

Overhead view from Google Earth. It doesn't look like there are any deep gullies along the way to me.



Street view

 

[7Niki3]

It is possible, I know here in my city alot of people are being charged for speeding, it has gone up since Covid. Emptier roads less cops on the roads. Three ding dings were caught skateboarding on the highway yesterday. If the car went airborne, would that account for less damage?


They both have recent DWI so it is not surprising people are speculating some intoxication may have been involved, but I haven't seen anything that shows that they were in to heavy drugs.

If you look at the video of the girls exiting their apartment, you can see Paige is holding a beer bottle.

I suspect me they were both drinking, and probably a bit drunk. I think a quick trip to get snacks ended up in an argument. I think this lead to the high speed crash.

We heard from a prior partner that Stephanie was known to “go off the rails” when drinking. I totally get this — If I drink, I totally loose my wits and do and say things that are completely at odds with my non-drinking self. I’ve driven drunk a lot. I’ve also driven drunk and at lunatic speeds after having an argument.

I want to think it was truly an accident. But I have this nagging feeling that because there was no skid marks that it may have been on purpose.

God bless them both and their families no matter the cause. I guess the cause would be nice to know but in the end we have the death of two beautiful young girls with a lifetime that will go un-lived.

 

[MissUnderstood]

Is there a deep gully beside the road? The whole area has a lot of deep gullies for water drainage. I’m thinking they could have hit one of them hard and then they flew into the woods. Makes me wonder if the car was upside down when they finally found it.

there were pics of the car being put on a tow truck. No damage to the roof from the angle of the pics.
I wonder what they hit to make them airborne?
I do think this was a freaky accident. Just so sad it took so long to find them. It’s awful to think they could have been alive and trapped in there.
I hope the family gets all the answers they need.
MOO

 

[7Niki3]

there were pics of the car being put on a tow truck. No damage to the roof from the angle of the pics.
I wonder what they hit to make them airborne?
I do think this was a freaky accident. Just so sad it took so long to find them. It’s awful to think they could have been alive and trapped in there.
I hope the family gets all the answers they need.
MOO

Here is a zoomed in version of a photo posted in a prior comment. You can see the hood damage here.

 

[7Niki3]

Not exactly my definition of heavily wooded or “deep in the trees”. I would agree with thick vegetation but you don’t have to be a super sleuth to know that tall grass hides objects. Really, this picture just makes me even more aggravated that police could have done a much better job the night of the crash and possibly rescued one or both girls. I just hope to god they died on impact. I don’t see how the police redeem themselves with this dereliction of duty.

Photo credit can be found on the write up below the picture

 

[MesquiteO21]

I have to wonder if that part of the woods has a lot of kudzu. It's hard to find vehicles/bodies in areas overrun with kudzu, just as it is hard to find wrecks/bodies in areas of the PNW that have heavy blackberry, raspberry, and salmonberry infestations.

That’s actually exactly what happened with Tanya Rider. She got in a one car accident in the Seattle area and ended up down a ravine. The car was hidden for 8 days by heavy blackberry growth.

 

[Rolyataylor]

With all the south comments, I can’t help but wonder if they were run off the road? Maybe someone in the mart saw them acting like more than friends, made them feel uncomfortable, followed them and ran them off the road? MOO obviously but being a fellow gay person, I know how people can look at you. Can’t imagine being gay in the south.

I’ve been folllowing this case closely and I’m very sorry for the families and friends that lost these two beautiful, young women. Hopefully we (mostly the family, but also the public) will get some answers soon.

 

[Sarahlou]

I tend to think this was just an accident. Alcohol + speeding imo.

 

[GraceG]

If they hit a tree or anything hard at a high speed, their aortas could have torn away from their hearts— so they could have bled to death internally. This is a common internal injury suffered in car crashes. Other organs can tear away from the impact too. It is caused by G forces from a collision with anything. Although, we don’t know if they were wearing seat belts or if the airbags went off.

So true - I worked an air crash. It wasn't too bad, the small (front and back seat tailwheel type) plane had only been airborne a short time when the wing stalled and it nosed into the ground. The guy in the front seat had some cuts on his face from the windshield breaking. The guy in the back stepped out of the plane and was fine. Til he said "I don't feel good" and sat down and died. His aorta had been torn.

 

[Nancy19XX]

Steph & Paige (@paigingthemayos) • Instagram photos and videos

So sad, but I think that this was just a drunken accident. It's a good thing they didn't hurt anyone else. In at least 1 of their videos, Paige is driving with 2 beers between her legs. They are drinking in many of the videos, driving around a lot in their videos.... Put two and two together and you get a whole tragedy. They seemed so happy and full of life, but looks can be deceiving. RIP ladies.

 

[Steph8angels]

Words of a heart broken sister, but one full of courage to move forward for Paige and their family. Let's remember humanity's light. No matter what...where....when....or how.....

Car Registered to Missing N.C. Couple with Bodies Inside Was Likely in 'High-Velocity' Crash

From the above link.....
"Today I woke up and the news from yesterday remains the same. With millions of questions still unanswered, I just wondered who am I supposed to reminisce with?" Escalera's sister, Stevie J. posted on Facebook on Tuesday. "Secrets I’ve shared, things I’ve done, and memories that no one in this world could ever actually understand are now left here with myself."


10%cc TOS/WS
Now rest in each other's arms.

 

[NoSI]

So true - I worked an air crash. It wasn't too bad, the small (front and back seat tailwheel type) plane had only been airborne a short time when the wing stalled and it nosed into the ground. The guy in the front seat had some cuts on his face from the windshield breaking. The guy in the back stepped out of the plane and was fine. Til he said "I don't feel good" and sat down and died. His aorta had been torn.

Yes, makes total sense. Traumatic aortic dissection... very, very lethal. They die at scene and don't even make it to the hospital if its a true dissection. The person succumbs to internal bleeding very quickly.

The aortic dissection can be caused by impact with an object (airbag, steering wheel) or related to high velocity deceleration. It is most common in frontal impact crashes.

MOO, but have researched topic in the past.

 

[Dutchesse]

So sad, but I think that this was just a drunken accident. It's a good thing they didn't hurt anyone else. In at least 1 of their videos, Paige is driving with 2 beers between her legs. They are drinking in many of the videos, driving around a lot in their videos.... Put two and two together and you get a whole tragedy.

I feel for their families, but this type of behaviour.... It makes me very angry. I am thankful they did not hit anyone. I hope other young people learn from this.