Hudson – On Saturday, October 12, at approximately 3:10 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Caldwell County on Hickory Nut Ridge Road near Baton Church Road. A golf cart was attempting to turn left from a private driveway and pulled into the path of an eastbound 2018 Chevrolet Malibu.
The driver of the golf cart, Roy Shane Epps, 58, of Granite Falls, was transported by medical helicopter to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in Winston-Salem, where he succumbed to his injuries. His wife, Julie Safford Epps, 57, who was a passenger was transported to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, in Charlotte, with life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Malibu, Cody Lyndon Pennell, 33, of Morganton, was not injured.
The initial investigation does indicate impairment to be a contributing factor. Pennell was arrested and charged with driving while impaired. Additional charges are pending upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Caldwell County District Attorney’s Office. During the on-scene investigation, the roadway was closed in the area for approximately one hour.