Simba Wallace, an active duty U.S. Navy Chief and his wife, Natalie Castro, have been killed in a car accident in Duplin County, North Carolina.
The crash which took the lives of Simba Wallace and Natalie Castro occurred around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 at Ludie Brown Road at Willie Hatcher Road.
According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the couple’s Jeep Wrangler was headed south of Willie Hatcher road when it was hit by a semi-truck carrying chickens that was headed west on Ludie Brown Road.
The collision led to the Jeep being overturned and careening off the road. Both Wallace and Castro were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the semi was taken to ECU Health Duplin Hospital having suffered only minor injuries.
Wallace who was educated at the Thomas Edison State University, graduating with a BAST in Health Information Technology, was a Command Master Chief in the Navy, serving aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. Wallace, from Camden, New Jersey, enlisted in the Navy in 1995.
His first duty assignments included tours at National Naval Medical Center, Northern Clinics, Naval Air Warfare Center Trenton, Naval Air Station Willow Grove, and the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard League Island Branch Medical Clinic…he was promoted to First Class Petty Officer in 2006 and Master Chief Petty Officer in 2021. In March 2022, he reached his current rank of Command Master Chief.
Tributes poured in for the deceased couple, who were well known and liked in their local community.
“Today was an emotional day for the Camp Lejeune Area Chiefs mess and the Navy as a whole! We lost an Amazing leader, dear friend and his loving Wife. Many of us had the honor and privilege to not only know Simba Wallace but to work with him, know him personally and be friends and brother to an incredible human being” one tribute read. “Like all us will say, this one hurts and will continue to hurt forever. To the family of Simba Wallace and Natalie Castro, you have my deepest sympathies. Simba was one of a kind. Love you always my brother. Til Vallaha!”