A Wednesday evening drive on a two-lane stretch of Tabor Church Road in Cumberland County ended in tragedy when a Toyota Avalon overturned and slammed into a tree near Tabor Methodist Church, killing the driver, authorities said.
Emergency crews were called just after 6 p.m. and arrived to find the Avalon flipped over with a tree resting on top of it. The driver had been at least partially ejected from the vehicle and was taken to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead as troopers worked the scene.
According to WTVD, investigators believe the crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday on the two-lane segment of Tabor Church Road near the church. The station reports troopers suspect the driver over-corrected while rounding a curve, veered off the roadway and struck the tree. First responders found the Avalon overturned with a tree on top and say the driver was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead.
WRAL, citing the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, reported that troopers said a 60-year-old man crashed into a tree and died at the scene. Troopers have not released his name and say the investigation is still active.
What investigators say
Investigators told WTVD they suspect an over-correction on a curve caused the Avalon to leave the road and roll. The State Highway Patrol is still gathering evidence to determine whether speed, the vehicle’s condition or other factors played a role.
Why roadway departures are particularly deadly
The Federal Highway Administration notes that roadway-departure crashes, where a vehicle leaves its travel lane and hits a fixed object, account for more than half of all highway deaths in the United States, according to FHWA. The agency’s guidance points out that collisions with trees and crashes on horizontal curves are both common and often severe, which helps explain why single-vehicle rollovers on two-lane rural roads so frequently end in fatal injuries.
Troopers have not identified the driver publicly and have released few additional details. The State Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation, according to WRAL. This story will be updated as authorities share more information.
