An 18-wheel tractor-trailer struck a sheriff's deputy and a firefighter who were directing traffic on a coastal highway in North Carolina. Both men were killed in the accident which occurred on Saturday, authorities said.

The incident took place at about 5:15 a.m. Saturday near a burn at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Onslow County along the central North Carolina coast, according to Highway Patrol Lt. Everett Clendenin.

The victims were identified as Deputy Steven Boehm, 36, and firefighter Gene Thomas, 52.

"This loss is a great tragedy for everyone. These men served honorably," said Sheriff's Capt. Rick Sutherland.

Another deputy, Bill Hall, was also involved in the wreck but escaped with only minor injuries and was released from the hospital after a brief examination.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, 51-year-old Robert Kornegay of Fayetteville, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle and exceeding a safe speed. The driver was released Saturday on his own recognizance.

The cause of the accident may have been the reduced visibility caused by the smoke from a controlled burn on the base combined with fog to significantly, said Sutherland.

The highway was shut down by officials for a couple of hours after the two were killed. It is not clear whether the controlled burn was connected with a 62-square-mile wildfire burning about 100 miles away in northeastern North Carolina.