Developing story
A driver died after apparently tried to avoid a dead animal on N.C. 87 near the county line this morning.
Traffic was tied up for hours after the crash, which occurred just before 7 a.m. Initial reports show the wreck happened near Gus Bryant Road. The driver reportedly tried to avoid a dead animal in the roadway, crossed the centerline, left the highway and struck a tree.
The driver died at the scene. The wreck was the eighth fatal crash this year in Columbus County.
The Highway Patrol is investigating.
