Fatal Friday wreck victim identified
Published 12:07 am Thursday, November 30, 2023
ROWAN COUNTY — The victim in the vehicle collision that left one motorist dead on Friday has been identified.
According to a spokesperson with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Brent Jamal Watkins, 29, of Charlotte was killed as a result of injuries sustained during the early morning crash that occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 around 4:51 near Webb Road. Watkins was driving a 2024 Kia passenger car.
Reports from the scene indicated that Watkins attempted to pass a parked emergency vehicle.
Following the accident, Rowan County Emergency Services shared in a Facebook post that emergency personnel were responding to a prior accident when a driver attempted to pass through at a high rate of speed. The driver hit a South Salisbury Fire Department truck and a Rowan Rescue vehicle, causing them to crash.
The Facebook post noted that the incident is under investigation by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
No emergency responders were injured in the crash, according to Emergency Services.
