SALISBURY — The North Carolina Highway Patrol is still investigating a two-vehicle collision on Mooresville Road that left multiple people hospitalized Friday.

The collision happened when Chad Eubanks, who was driving a Chevy Impala, veered over the road’s middle line and collided with a Chevrolet Tahoe going in the opposite direction, said North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper  J.T. Simmons. 

The collision was initially being investigated as a fatal accident because of the injuries sustained by Chad Eubanks, the driver of the Impala. However, Simmons, who responded to the incident, said that Eubanks is now expected to live, despite sustaining a fractured skull and other internal injuries.

Prior to the collision, Simmons said a physical altercation was taking place between Eubanks and the other passenger in the Impala, Jessica Burgess. Burgess said that she was Eubanks’ girlfriend. Burgess, who said she is the owner of the Impala, told The Post that she and Eubanks were fighting over where to go after they went to the Dollar General. She claimed that he was impaired and wanted to visit a friend for drug-related reasons, while she wanted to go home.

Simmons said his agency would investigate Burgess’ claim that Simmons was driving while impaired. Burgess also claims that Eubanks punched her after they drove away from the Dollar General.

Eubanks was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem. Burgess was taken to the Rowan Health Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries and has since been released. Simmons said that any domestic violence investigations will likely be handled by the Rowan County County Sheriff’s Office. The North Carolina Highway Patrol will continue to investigate the collision.

“The cause of it right now, as far as we know,  is reckless driving,” Simmons said. “It seems like that reckless driving was in accordance with a domestic situation in the vehicle.”

The driver and passenger of the Tahoe sustained injuries, but were released from the hospital earlier this week and are expected to make a full recovery.

Eubanks said that he denies Burgess’ claims and that he wanted to return home after their trip to Dollar General to grill out for his children.

“To be honest, I don’t even know what happened,” Eubanks told The Post. “All I remember is going on the road and the next thing I know, I’m wrecked and in the hospital and I don’t have a clue where my girlfriend is.”

Editors note: Since being published, this story has been updated to include Eubanks’ comments on the incident.