SPENCER — One man is dead and two others were sent to the hospital today after the sport-utility vehicle they were in overturned on northbound Interstate 85, near exit 79 at Spencer.
David Lockhart, 70, of Washington, D.C., was ejected from the vehicle and died on the scene, investigators said.
He was riding in a rear passenger’s seat of the gold SUV. Sitting up front were his two brothers, J.B. Lockhart, 72, of Fort Washington, Md., and vehicle-owner Clarence Lockhart, 67, of Landover, Md.
David Lockhart’s brothers were wearing their seatbelts, but it appeared that he was not wearing his, said Trooper C.J. Doty with the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
According to Doty, J.B. Lockhart was driving and said he “blanked out” near exit 79. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
“The front seat passenger (Clarence) said he thought he saw him dozing off and called his name,” Doty said. “When the driver heard his name, he swerved to the right and then to the left. He did this several times before the vehicle rolled over four times.”
Clarence Lockhart was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, and J.B. Lockhart was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center.
Doty said the accident is still under investigation, and he’s unsure whether any charges will be filed.
The wreck closed all but one lane on northbound I-85 for more than two hours this afternoon. All lanes have been re-opened.