Mo-ped rider dies in head-on crash

Sunday, March 15, 2009 3:06 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

Staff report

The driver of a mo-ped died at the scene of a head-on collision on Sherrills Ford Road shortly after 9:30 p.m. Monday.

Trooper M.E. Heon of the N.C. Highway Patrol said the mo-ped operator crossed the centerline of Sherrills Ford Road near the intersection with Oscar Lane and struck the right front side of an oncoming Honda.

The impact destroyed the mo-ped and threw off the driver, who died shortly after the crash while emergency personnel were setting up a landing zone for a medical helicopter.

Late Monday night, Trooper Heon was attempting to locate and notify the man's next of kin before releasing his identity. He was described as being in his 50s and a resident of the U.S. 70 area.

The driver of the Honda said all he saw was a headlight swerving into the path of his car.

The man declined to give his name and left quickly for Rowan Regional Medical Center, where his girlfriend had been taken.

Emergency personnel said the woman was very agitated.

The mo-ped struck the passenger's side of the Honda, smashing the windshield directly in front of the woman.

Scraps of the mo-ped littered the edge of the roadway and an adjacent yard.

The Rowan Rescue Squad and the Locke Volunteer Fire Department responded along with Rowan EMS.