1 dead, 3 hospitalized in motorcycle crash in Morganton, NCSHP says

MORGANTON, N.C. — One person was killed and three people were hospitalized following a motorcycle crash in Morganton on Saturday morning, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Troopers responded to the scene on NC 181 in Burke County around 11:05 a.m.

There, they found a 2002 Kawasaki motorcycle and a 2016 Yamaha motorcycle had been in a crash, according to reports.

The Kawasaki driver, 44-year-old James Clifton Vaughan III, died at the scene. His passenger, 31-year-old Brandy Nicole Isaacs, was ejected from the motorcycle and was sent to a nearby hospital. She is in critical condition.

The Yamaha driver, 52-year-old Timothy Daniel Gragg, and his passenger were both sent to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to NCSHP.

The Kawasaki was travelling north on NC 181 and attempted to pass several motorcycles in a no-passing zone, according to reports. This ended with a head-on collision with the southbound Yamaha.

Initial investigations indicate speed and improper passing were contributing factors, NCSHP said. They closed the road for two hours to conduct the investigation. No charges will be filed.

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