Two-Car Crash On N.C. 111 Kills One, Injures One

On the morning of February 19, a two-car collision on N.C. Highway 111 resulted in one man dying and another being sent to the hospital for personal injuries, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

According to Trooper M.T. Bryan, who responded to the scene, the crash occurred shortly after 9 a.m. near the intersection of N.C. 111 and Ridgeway Road.

Bryan said that 20-year-old Orlando Hamilton, a Marine from Camp Lejeune, was driving a Ford 15-passenger van in the direction of the Albert Ellis Airport when he crossed the center line and collided with a Chevrolet Cavalier driven by 63-year-old Duplin County resident Paul Burch. Bryan said Burch died instantly.

Officials say Hamilton was driving an official government vehicle and was likely driving to the airport for a pick-up when the collision took place.

Bryan said that Hamilton suffered a concussion and soft-tissue damage and received air transport to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where he is now conscious and listed in stable condition.

Bryan said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which took place on a straight stretch of road, but other factors are being investigated.