Well‑known beach music performer killed in I‑95 wreck in Harnett County

DUNN, N.C. (WTVD) -- A well-known beach music performer was killed early Saturday morning in a crash on Interstate 95 in Dunn that shut down traffic for several hours.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the wreck happened around 2:16 a.m. near Pope Road in Harnett County.

Howard Douglas Winstead Jr., 67, of Concord, was driving a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica northbound when he crashed into a 2025 Peterbilt tanker truck that had slowed because of traffic ahead. The truck was driven by Justin Broderick, 35, of Angier.

Winstead died at the scene, troopers confirmed with ABC11.

Winstead was a member of the Band of Oz and was returning home from a Friday night performance in Lexington, South Carolina, when the crash occurred. He was also formerly a member of The Fantastic Shakers and The Blackwater Band.

Northbound lanes of I-95 were closed for several hours as first responders cleared the wreckage and investigators examined the scene. Traffic backups stretched for miles during the closure.

The highway reopened at 5:47 a.m. The crash remains under investigation.