CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 28-year-old Lenoir man was killed Sunday evening in a single-vehicle crash on Calico Road near US 64 in Caldwell County, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Investigators said a 2020 Toyota Rav4 was traveling south on Calico Road when it crossed the centerline, drove off the road and collided with a tree at approximately 6:30 p.m. The front-seat passenger, Calieb Scott Clark, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
EMS transported the driver, Jesse Wayne Douglas, 33, of Lenoir, to UNC Health Blue Ridge with serious injuries. Highway Patrol officers said both speed and impairment are suspected as contributing circumstances. Charges are pending against Douglas for felony death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, reckless driving and left of center.