Purlear – On Saturday, September 28, at approximately 12:00 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Wilkes County on Shingle Gap Road near CC Hayes Road. A Honda dirt bike traveling north on Shingle Gap Road, collided head-on with a southbound Suzuki dirt bike in the center of the roadway.
The driver of the Honda, Matthew Dean Blankenship, 21, of Ferguson, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The driver of the Suzuki, Orin Thomas Harless, 30, of Purlear, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The initial investigation does not indicate impairment or speed as contributing factors to the collision. Both drivers were not wearing helmets. Shingle Gap Road was closed in the area for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation.