Statesville– On Saturday, April 19, at approximately 5:00 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Iredell County on I-40 West near Old Mountain Road (Exit 144). A 2005 Volvo S60 was traveling west on I-40 when the driver lost control, drove off the left side of the road, drove back onto the roadway, traveled off the right side of the road, and struck a tree.
The driver, Ramon Gustavo Navo-Almanza, 28, of Claremont, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
The initial investigation indicates that excessive speed was the contributing circumstance in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, I-40 was partially closed in the area for approximately two hours.