Fatal collision claims life of 20-year-old in Catawba County

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A 20-year-old Conover man died Monday in a fatal collision on Emmanuel Church Road near Burris Road in Catawba County.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated the crash, which occurred just before 4 p.m.

Junior Ismael Guerrero succumbed to his injuries at the scene after the truck he was driving veered off the roadway and collided with a culvert and a tree.

Guerrero was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision, according to troopers.

The initial investigation concluded that speed contributed to the collision, although impairment was not suspected as a factor.