Funeral set for teen thrown from truck

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 18, 2011

By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A funeral will be held Wednesday for an 18-year-old man who died after a wreck caused by icy conditions last week.
Justin Michael Hill of Rockwell was the middle passenger in a 1987 Chevrolet pickup that overturned on Barger Road, off Stokes Ferry Road, Wednesday evening. The truck was driven by Justin Medlin, 18, and Brooke Royston, 18, was also a passenger.
The southbound pickup hit an icy patch just before 7 p.m. and overturned, said Trooper E.B. Perdue.
Hill was one of two passengers thrown from the truck, Perdue said.
Hill was not wearing a seatbelt, the trooper said. The Patrol confirmed Monday that Hill died Friday afternoon.
Royston, the other person thrown, was wearing a shoulder belt. She was treated at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and has been released.
Justin Medlin’s seatbelt saved him from serious injury, Perdue said. Medlin was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center and has since been released.
Hill was born in San Diego, Calif., and is the son of Betty Linger Buchanan of Rockwell and Felipe Campuzano.
He attended East Rowan High School.
He enjoyed computers, video games and hanging out with his friends, an obituary said.
He is also survived by his step-father, Roy Buchanan, sisters, Jessie Hill of Elkin, Jamie Linger of Hamptonville and step-sister, Angela B. Strickland of Gold Hill, step-brother, Jason Buchanan of Lexington.
There will be no visitation at the Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Brookhill Memorial Gardens, Rockwell.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Powles Funeral Home, P.O. Box 248, Rockwell, NC 28138 to help with funeral expenses.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.