Lenoir– On Thursday, January 18, at approximately 10:45 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Caldwell County on Playmore Beach Road near Packs Hill Road. A 2015 Ford Fusion was traveling west on Playmore Beach Road, crossed the center line, traveled off the left side of the road, and struck a tree.
The driver of the Fusion, Michael Scott Skelton, 41, of Lenoir, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The initial investigation indicates speed and reckless driving as the contributing factors in the collision. At the time of the collision, Skelton was being pursued by the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department.