An early Saturday single-vehicle crash on Fayetteville Road in Fuquay-Varina left a driver dead after the car ran off the roadway near the Ransdell Road intersection and came to rest in an embankment, authorities said. Emergency crews later found the occupant in the vehicle, and troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the collision is under active investigation.
Troopers say speed appears to be a factor
According to WRAL, the State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to Fayetteville Road near Ransdell Road after the vehicle left the roadway. Patrol investigators told the station the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed when the car ran off the road and struck the embankment. Authorities temporarily closed the stretch of U.S. 401 while crash investigators processed the scene and cleared debris.
Investigation underway
The State Highway Patrol told WRAL that "the driver was driving at a high rate of speed and went off the side of the road into an embankment," and investigators are working to determine whether any other vehicles were involved. Officials have not released the identity of the driver and say additional details will be provided as the probe continues.
A busy corridor with known safety issues
Fayetteville Road, part of U.S. 401 through Fuquay-Varina, is one of the town's busiest corridors, and Fuquay-Varina planning documents show intersections along US 401 have been a concentration of crashes, including several fatal collisions. The town's 2040 Comprehensive Transportation Plan lays out targeted safety and capacity improvements intended to reduce crashes along the corridor. For more on those findings, see Fuquay-Varina's 2040 transportation plan.
Troopers say the investigation remains active and they will release more information when it is available. Local drivers experienced temporary lane and traffic impacts while crews worked to clear the scene Saturday morning.
