ROWAN COUNTY — An out-of-county motorist was killed as a result of a collision that occurred on Hwy. 70 (Statesville Boulevard) shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday.

A member of the N.C. Highway Patrol confirmed that the driver of a Subaru died following the collision which involved a Ford pickup.

Both vehicles were heading east. According to reports from the scene, the pickup truck exited the roadway where it collided with the Subaru, which was on the shoulder of the highway. 

“That car (the Subaru) may or may not have been in motion,” the source said. “I don’t see much evidence that shows (they) were rolling, but I know he was on the right shoulder. If he was doing anything, it was 0-5 (mph).”

After initial inspections on the scene were completed, the highway patrolman said that it was unclear what caused the driver of the pickup truck to lose control of the road, adding that further investigation should yield some type of explanation. 

The driver of the pickup truck did not suffer any severe injuries. According to a person on the scene familiar with the truck driver, the latter was not from Rowan County either, but in town for a contractual painting job. 

As is protocol in DOA cases, the driver of the pickup truck will have to provide a blood sample to law enforcement.

The collision prompted the N.C. Department of Transportation to shut the road down to through traffic, while the highway patrol concluded its investigation.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.