1 killed, 1 injured in Rowan County wreck

One person was killed in Rowan County Sunday night after a pickup truck drove off the road and struck a tree, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.

The collision happened around 8 p.m. Sunday on N.C. 801 between Meisemer Dairy Road and Fleming Road near the town of Woodleaf, according to N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper K.G. Barringer.

Police haven’t released the name of the two people involved in the single-vehicle crash because they hadn’t notified family members late Sunday.

The driver of the Ford Ranger pickup truck wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The passenger, who was belted in, was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with serious injuries.

The truck was headed south on N.C. 801, a two lane highway, when it went left of the center line. The truck drove off the road and struck a tree.

Barringer said excessive speed wasn’t a factor in the crash, and troopers are investigating to see if the driver had been drinking alcohol.

This story was originally published January 31, 2016 at 10:58 PM with the headline "1 killed, 1 injured in Rowan County wreck."