Morganton – On Saturday, June 10, at approximately 4:40 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Burke County on NC 181 near mile marker 19. A 2023 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling south on NC 181, traveled off the right side of the road, and struck a tree.
The driver of the Harley Davidson, Samuel Reyes-Luna, 20, of Matthews, was ejected from the motorcycle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
During the on-scene investigation, NC 181 was partially closed in the area for approximately two hours. The initial investigation indicates excessive speed to be the contributing circumstance in the collision.