An 83-year-old local man lost his life Tuesday evening when his vehicle went off the road along Benson Hardee Road, setting off a chain reaction that ended in a gas line fire. State troopers identified the driver as Joseph Larry Norris, a resident of the area who was driving through the quiet corridor when the crash happened around 7:32 p.m.
Norris was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Equinox, traveling west along the familiar stretch of two-lane road. For reasons investigators are still trying to pin down, the SUV drifted across the center line and veered off the left side of the pavement.
The vehicle slammed into a ditch before plowing through two heavy wooden fence posts. It kept rolling along the fence line, tearing straight into an exposed gas line along the edge of the property.
The impact broke the line and ignited a sudden fire near the rear of the Equinox. By the time the vehicle came to a complete stop on the left shoulder, smoke and flames were coming from the back end.
First responders from local fire departments made it to the scene within minutes. Crew members rushed into the dangerous situation, working fast to pull Norris out of the burning SUV before the fire could spread further into the cabin.
Despite their quick work to extricate him from the wreckage, medical personnel on the scene were unable to revive him. Norris was pronounced dead at the crash site shortly after rescue workers got him free.
Friends and neighbors in Johnston County are now coming to terms with the sudden loss of an 83-year-old who was a familiar face along Benson Hardee Road. For those who lived nearby, the quiet rural road feels different after losing a long-standing member of their community in such a sudden way.
Leave a Reply