One person died in a fiery single vehicle accident on Interstate 95 in Johnston County Monday afternoon.
The accident occurred around 1:00pm in the northbound lanes of I-95 near the I-40 interchange just north of Benson. A 66 year-old Maryland man was traveling northbound when his car veered off the roadway and careened onto the North Walton Avenue service road beside the interstate before striking a tree and bursting into flames.
Three people who witnessed the crash stopped and pulled the man from the burning car. Paramedics performed CPR on the victim for more than an hour before he was declared dead.
The NC Highway Patrol is investigating what caused the victim to crash. There were no signs the driver attempted to brake before wrecking. Officials are looking into whether the driver may have fallen asleep or suffered a medical illness. The victims name was not immediately released.
The accident temporarily closed one northbound lane of the interstate near the 81 mile marker.
