A Lincolnton resident is charged in connection to a fatal crash Friday (March 17) in Lincoln County. 40-year-old Tracy Michelle Blanton is charged with felony death by vehicle, possession of methamphetamine, driving while impaired, failure to reduce speed, and multiple vehicle violations.

The individual killed in the crash is a four-year-old child. On Friday, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to Startown Road near Ritchie Road. A Mercedes ML 350 was traveling north on Startown Road, failed to reduce speed adequately, and collided with a 1994 Toyota truck that was stopped in the lane, waiting to turn.

The driver of the Mercedes, the suspect charged in the case, Tracy Michelle Blanton, was not injured. The driver of the Toyota, also a resident of Lincolnton, was not injured. Two passengers in the Toyota, ages eight and two, were injured and transported by EMS to area hospitals. The four-year-old in the Toyota succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The passengers in the Toyota were not restrained by car seats.

The initial investigation indicates impairment to be a contributing factor. Blanton was placed in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under $65,000 bond. She remained in jail as of earlier today (March 20). A District Court date was scheduled today. Startown Road was closed in the area for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation.