1 dead in northeast Charlotte wreck

Police said alcohol and speed contributed to a fatal wreck on Timberway Drive in northeast Charlotte late Thursday.

Martin Juan Duran Palma, 34, died when he failed to make a 90-degree turn and his pickup truck smashed head-on into a tree, police said.

A front-seat passenger was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Neither occupant was wearing a seat belt, police said.

The wreck happened at about 11:50 p.m. when Palma was traveling on Heathway Drive and failed to make the turn where Heathway becomes Timberway Drive, police said. Palma applied the brakes, but the pickup slid straight off the road and into the tree, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Detective Kevin Allred at (704) 336-8862.

Joe Marusak

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 9:18 AM with the headline "1 dead in northeast Charlotte wreck."