Hickory – On Thursday, March 27, at approximately 1:50 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Catawba County on NC 127 near NC 10. A 2001 Toyota Camry, traveling north on NC 127, drove off the right side of the road, overturned, and struck the guardrail.
The driver, Eli Emmanuel Brittain, 20, of Newton, was ejected from the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Brittain was not wearing a seatbelt.
The initial investigation indicates that excessive speed was a contributing factor in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, NC 127 was closed in the area for approximately one hour.