A China Grove man died early Saturday morning when his truck crashed off Unity Church Road.
William Todd Atwell, 41, of 2005 Highway 152, China Grove, was dead at the scene.
According to Highway Patrol reports, Atwell was driving south on Unity Church Road near Deal Road around 1:55 a.m. Saturday when his 1999 Chevrolet pickup hit two mailboxes on the right, swerved back onto the roadway and then ran back off the road to the right.
The truck collided with a utility pole, struck an embankment and turned over, coming to rest on its side.
Atwell and his passenger, Stacy Deal, 40, of 215 Deal Road, Mooresville, were ejected from the truck. They were not wearing seatbelts.
Deal walked to a nearby house to seek help.
Atwell was going about 70 mph in a 55 mph zone on the two-lane road, according to the Highway Patrol.
Trooper A.J. Carpenter investigated.
Ambulances took Deal to CMC-NorthEast in Concord, and Atwell to Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.