A hot but beautiful Memorial Day weekend has turned tragic for one local family. A 71-year-old man from Vass lost his life after his truck crashed on U.S. Highway 1 just outside Southern Pines on Saturday morning.
Emergency units were dispatched to the accident just before 9 a.m. at the intersection of Valley View Road and U.S. 1, just north of Southern Pines.
First responders arrived to find a Dodge Ram in the median with moderate damage. The male driver inside was unresponsive.
According to officials, the truck was traveling southbound when the driver began to leave the roadway. It traveled nearly 1,000 feet, striking a small tree before stopping against the inside guardrail of the southbound lane.
After he was removed from the vehicle, CPR was performed on the driver, and he was transported to Moore Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol was on scene and is investigating the accident but told Sandhills Sentinel the crash appears to have resulted from a medical event. A further investigation is being conducted at this time.
Both inside lanes, northbound and southbound, were closed while crews worked the scene.
Responding to the scene were the Southern Pines Fire Department, Moore County EMS, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, and N.C. Highway Patrol.
~Article, photo, and footage by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Daniel Gwyn. Daniel has been reporting breaking news for Sandhills Sentinel since 2020.
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