Officials with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said a trooper tried to stop a Ford passenger car for speeding around 8:40 p.m. on Cumberland Road. The driver of the Ford stopped on the right side of the shoulder of Boone Trail after the trooper activated his emergency equipment.
As the trooper approached the car, the driver sped away and began traveling north on Roxie Avenue at a high speed. While the trooper attempted to overtake the speeding car, the driver of the Ford went off the roadway and struck a tree.
The driver of the Ford died at the scene. Two more passengers were in the car at the time of the crash. They were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.