Newton– On Wednesday, September 06, at approximately 3:00 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Catawba County on Zion Church Road near Butner Drive. A 2002 Suzuki motorcycle was traveling north on Zion Church Road and drove off the right side of the road. The driver was ejected from the motorcycle and struck a tree stump.
The driver of the motorcycle, Andrew Lee Cole, 41, of Connelly Springs, NC, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Zion Church Road was closed in the area during the on-scene investigation for one hour. The initial investigation indicates excessive speed as contributing to the collision.