RALEIGH, N.C — A 22-year-old Zebulon man lost his life early Wednesday morning in a fiery single-vehicle crash along U.S. 64 West near Lizard Lick Road, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP).
The crash occurred around 3 a.m., prompting an alert from the North Carolina Department of Transportation about a serious wreck at mile marker 432 on U.S. 64/Interstate 87 West.
When troopers and emergency crews arrived, they discovered a vehicle engulfed in flames after it had struck a tree along the highway. The car was nearly destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
Investigators determined that the vehicle had been traveling westbound at a high rate of speed when it ran off the right side of the road, colliding with a tree before catching fire.
The driver, identified as Kevin Nkulu Mutaba, 22, of Zebulon, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles or passengers were involved.
The crash remains under investigation by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the deadly accident.
This tragic incident marks another sobering reminder of the dangers of high-speed driving.