A fatal collision on Interstate 40 in Catawba County claimed the life of a woman yesterday morning. WBTV reports that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has identified the victim as Kimberly Brown, a 47-year-old resident of Black Mountain. The incident occurred near the North Oxford Street exit and involved a Ford Focus that first struck a guardrail, then a tree.
According to QC News, the crash happened at approximately 11:10 a.m. near exit 135, Claremont. It is still unclear what led to the vehicle’s loss of control, and the authorities have not indicated whether charges will be filed in connection with the crash. Following an initial investigation, state troopers have stated that neither speed nor impairment appear to have been contributing factors.
Despite Brown’s vehicle coming off of the left side of the roadway before hitting the guardrail and veering over to the right side to crash into a tree, all lanes of I-40 have since been reopened. However, as WCNC noted, residual delays continued as officials completed their on-site investigation…