Boone – On Thursday, October 5, at approximately 1:40 p.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Watauga County on Meatcamp Road near Rich Mountain Road. A 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe traveling south on Meatcamp Road, drove off the right side of the road, overturned, and came to rest on its wheels.
The driver of the Tahoe, Jeffrey Dean Bailey, 59, of Sparta, NC, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was transported by medical helicopter to Johnson City Medical Center, in serious condition.
Bailey was not restrained by a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The initial investigation indicates speed and alcohol were not contributing circumstances in the collision. During the on-scene investigation, Meatcamp Road was closed in the area for two hours.