Troopers: Man killed in Durham head-on crash fled scene of earlier collision

DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A man who was killed in a head-on collision Thursday night in Durham had been involved in a hit-and-run crash just minutes before, the Highway Patrol said.

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The fatal crash happened in the 1600 block of Mineral Springs Road north of the Sherron Road intersection and shut down the road for hours. The road reopened shortly before midnight.

A witness told troopers he saw the hit-and-run incident on Highway 70 near Sherron Road.

He said the man's SUV struck a van, which was then pushed into another car. The SUV driver struck a building before driving off.

The witness said he followed the driver and said the man veered left of center on Mineral Springs and hit another SUV head on.

The hit-and-run driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other SUV had to be cut out of his vehicle and taken by ambulance for treatment.

That driver is in critical condition. A passenger in his SUV was not injured.

Names of the people involved are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Troopers did not immediately know whether alcohol or other factors were involved.

The people involved in the first crash suffered only minor injuries.

The crashes remain under investigation.