By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY ó Authorities have identified a man whose body was found in a car Friday morning along Mount Hope Church Road.
But they still didnít know Friday evening how the man died. There were no witnesses and the man was alone in the car.
Investigators found Gary Lee Hamlet, 60, of 8345 Sharon Lane, dead in his 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier, which was in a creek about 20 feet down an embankment.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol said the wreck may have happened sometime overnight. A passing motorist spotted the car Friday morning.
Troopers were sent to the scene, not far from Artz Road, about 7 a.m., said Trooper D.A. Motsinger.
ěHe was traveling south on Mount Hope Church Road coming out of a curve and when he got to the straightaway, he traveled off the road to the right,î he said.
Hamletís car ran head-on into a dirt embankment. Motsinger said the area where the car landed had a pond with a small creek. The vehicle was not visible from the road. Motsinger said investigators are unsure how long Hamlet had been there.
ěA neighbor near the collision heard a loud bang around 11:45 p.m. or midnight, but they didnít see anything,î he said.
But a neighbor reported seeing Hamletís car ěor a car like hisî leaving his driveway Friday morning, the trooper said.
ěAlcohol and other impairment is not suspected,î he said.
It was not clear if Hamlet died as a result of a medical condition or from injuries suffered in the crash. Motsinger said investigators are waiting to hear from the medical examinerís office to determine a cause of death.
ěWe are not sure of any medical conditions that may have contributed to this accident,î Motsinger said.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.