Durham police said Robert Jay Van Denend, 48, of 2007 Englewood Ave., was driving on N.C. 147 at an excessive speed around 2:25 a.m. when he lost control of his 1998 Chevrolet pickup truck in a curve.
Van Denend was trying to merge on to Interstate 85 South when his pickup ran off the highway to the right and struck a utility pole. The pickup then went through a fence and struck two large pine trees, investigators said.
Van Denend, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the accident, according to investigators. Weather was also a factor because the highway was slick due to snow and ice.
Police said the pickupwas a total loss. The truck matched the description of a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident earlier Friday in Durham.
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