SALISBURY — A man died when his car struck a telephone pole on Sherrills Ford Road in Salisbury about 3:50 a.m. Saturday morning according to Locke Fire Department.

The victim has been identified as Alexander Pate, 26, who was heading west on the street before the accident. According to N.C. Highway Patrol trooper Ned Moultrie, it appears the driver ran off the right side of the road and over-corrected, causing Pate to hit a telephone pole and a tree. Fire department reports say the truck was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival. Majolica and Hurley School roads were closed for an extended period of time but the fire on the scene was reported as extinguished relatively quickly.

Moultrie said it is often difficult to determine exact cause of similar accidents, but it remains under investigation.