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Lenoir man dies after Memorial Day wreck
By Carey Phillips
A Memorial Day accident on U.S. 74-441 proved deadly for a Lenoir man.
Trooper Mike McLeod of the N.C. Highway Patrol identified the victim as 62-year-old Bruce Drum.
Drum was traveling west in a 1994 Buick passenger car near the 79-mile marker just east of the Barkers Creek straight when the wreck occurred at 10:21 a.m.
An eastbound 1994 Ford Ranger pickup, driven by 39-year-old Bernice Queen of Cullowhee, crossed the concrete median and collided with the Drum vehicle, according to McLeod. The initial impact was on the front left corner of both vehicles, the trooper said.
A helicopter airlifted Drum from the scene to Mission Hospitals in Asheville, where he died of his injuries.
His wife, Barbara, was treated and released at Harris Regional Hospital, McLeod said.
Also treated and released at Harris Regional were Queen, her 46-year-old husband, Rick, and 12-year-old son, Kevin, the trooper said.
“It’s not clear at this time what caused the truck to cross the median,” McLeod said Tuesday afternoon. “No charges have been filed yet.”
He did rule out alcohol as a factor in the accident.
The highway was shut down in both directions to establish a landing zone for the helicopter. Westbound traffic was backed up to Wilmot, according to McLeod, who said he was unsure how far eastbound traffic backed up.
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