Pikeville man dies in crash
By John Joyce
Published in News on January 21, 2014 1:46 PM
A Pikeville man was killed in a single vehicle wreck on Nor-Am Road Saturday just minutes before 9 p.m. A passenger escaped with minor injuries.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol said Gregory Allen Towne, 38, died when his black 2009 Infinity went off the road and became submerged in standing water.
"They were traveling north on Nor-Am Road at a high rate of speed, crossed the center line and hit a tree," Trooper Leroy Bunn said.
He said the car then overturned and came to rest in a swamp.
Both men were wearing seat belts, both were trapped inside the vehicle, he said.
The passenger, William P. Spivey, 43, of Grantham, was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment.
It is unclear whether Towne was pronounced dead at the scene or en route to the hospital.
Bunn cited speed as the primary factor leading to the accident. Tests have not yet ruled out the possibility that alcohol played a role in the accident.