A Rockwell man died after striking a tree early this morning following a single-vehicle collision in the eastern part of the county.
Jeffrey Paul Swicegood, 33, was leaving the Boat and Ski Club on Goodman Lake Road, where he worked. He was traveling on Union Church Road at Stokes Ferry Road, said Trooper E.B. Perdue of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
“He was on his way home. That is the route he would’ve taken,” Perdue said.
It appears Swicegood fell asleep at the wheel. There were no brake marks that indicate Swicegood tried to stop or slow down.
The road curved to the right, Perdue said, but Swicegood kept going straight. He struck a tree.
His family told the trooper, Swicegood had no medical conditions.
He was about 10 minutes from home, on a trip that his family said would’ve taken him about 12 minutes.
Rowan County paramedics came upon the collision while returning to their station and found Swicegood was already dead.
The crash occurred shortly before 1 a.m.