Lenoir – On Wednesday, November 6, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Caldwell County on US 321 North near Roby Martin Road. A 2017 Kawasaki motorcycle traveling south on US 321 failed to adequately reduce speed and collided with a southbound 2011 Nissan Pathfinder.
The driver of the motorcycle, Stephen Daniel Swafford, 49, of Lenoir, was thrown from the motorcycle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The driver of the Pathfinder, Jeannie Carol Franklin, 66, of Lenoir, was not injured.
The initial investigation indicates excessive speed to be the contributing factor in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, the roadway was closed in the area for approximately two hours. No charges will be filed in this case.