Long View – On Friday, May 5, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Catawba County on NC 18 near Willis Road. A 1999 Cadillac Eldorado was traveling north on NC 18, drove off the right side of the road, and overturned several times.
The driver of the Cadillac, Vincent Anthony Skidmore, 29, of Shelby, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was transported by EMS to UNC Health Blue Ridge in Morganton, with non-life-threatening injuries.
Skidmore was not restrained by a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The preliminary investigation indicates excessive speed and reckless driving as contributing circumstances in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, NC 18 was closed in the area for approximately three hours.