A Watauga County crash claimed a man’s life. The deceased is 81-year-old Lowell Thomas Norris of Todd.

On Monday (June 8), at approximately 4:30 p.m., the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to N.C. 194 South, near Brookshire Road, in Watauga County. A 2011 Honda Ridgeline was traveling South on N.C. 194, crossed the centerline before driving off the roadway and colliding with a rock wall.

The driver of the Honda, Lowell Thomas Norris, passed away from his injuries at the scene of the collision. Speed or impairment are not believed to be contributing factors in the collision. While Troopers conducted the on-scene investigation, N.C. 194 was closed for approximately two hours.