Possible Medical Emergency Blamed In Fatal I-40 Crash

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. – A 61-year-old Guilford County man died Monday after his car traveled off Interstate 40, went up an embankment and struck a tree head-on, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Johnston County troopers were dispatched at approximately 2:52 p.m. Sept. 14 to the single-vehicle crash on westbound I-40 near mile marker 311.

Troopers said Michael Burns of Summerfield was driving a 2018 Volvo westbound on I-40 when the crash occurred.

Burns was transported to WakeMed in Raleigh with critical injuries. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

A witness told troopers the Volvo was traveling in the far-left lane when it began drifting across the travel lanes before leaving the highway.

Investigators found no visible indications that Burns applied the brakes before the crash.

Troopers said a possible medical emergency is believed to have contributed to the collision.

Speed and alcohol were not considered contributing factors. Burns was wearing a seat belt and was the only person in the vehicle.

The crash remains under investigation by the N.C. State Highway Patrol’s Johnston County office.