A Statesville woman was killed when the vehicle she was driving ran off Interstate 40 Thursday night and struck a tree.
Joanna Leigh Durham, age 49, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the 146 mile marker.
A passenger in her vehicle, Mario Hernandez, 33, was injured and transported initially to Iredell Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Durham was not wearing a seat belt but indications are that Hernandez was wearing his seat belt.
The wreck happened around 6:33 p.m. and closed the interstate while emergency crews and the investigation was ongoing.