Troutman – On Sunday, October 15, at approximately 7:00 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Iredell County on Houston Road near Weathers Creek Road. A 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling east on Houston Road, drove off the right side of the road, drove back onto the roadway, crossed the center line, traveled off the left side of the road, struck a ditch, and overturned.
The driver of the Tahoe, Jose Alfredo Cruz Valencia, 32, of Statesville, became entrapped in the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A passenger in the Tahoe was not injured.
The initial investigation indicates speed and alcohol were contributing circumstances in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, Houston Road was partially closed in the area for several hours.