Warrensville– On Saturday, September 27, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Ashe County on NC 88 near Elliot Road. A 2019 Toyota RAV4 was traveling east on NC 88 when the driver lost control, crossed the center line, ran off the left side of the road, and struck a ditch.
The driver, Joshua Seth Hodge, 21, of Lansing, was critically injured and transported by EMS to Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The initial investigation indicates that impairment and speed were contributing factors in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, NC 88 was closed in the area for several hours.