Truck driver killed after wreck on Rocky Mount bridge

A truck driver died Monday after his rig overturned on a Rocky Mount bridge and sent his cab into a rain-swollen creek, fire department officials confirmed.

Posted 8:45 p.m. Jun 10, 2013 — Updated 4:28 p.m. Jun 19, 2013

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — A truck driver died Monday after his rig overturned on a Rocky Mount bridge and sent the cab into a rain-swollen creek, fire department officials confirmed.

The tractor-trailer, which was hauling building materials, was involved in a crash with an automobile on U.S. Highway 301 Bypass south of U.S. Highway 64 at about 1:40 p.m., police said.

The truck's cab went over the bridge and plunged into Stoney Creek, while the trailer remained perched on the bridge's rail.

The Rocky Mount Fire Department's swift-water rescue team responded but was unable to rescue the driver, police said. The water in Stoney Creek was moving too fast to attempt any recovery efforts Monday, they said.

A crane was brought in and pulled the truck from the water at about 10:30 p.m., police said.

David Warren Stone's body was still in the cab, they said.

Stone, 71, of Rocky Mount, was a veteran trucker, family members said.

"He was a real quiet man. He loved to play guitar and sing," Stone's brother-in-law, Mack Shearin, said as he choked back tears.

Estes Express Lines, Stone's employer, released a statement Tuesday morning expressing sympathy for his family. The company said it is working with local and state police to learn more about the wreck.

Shearin said witnesses told him that some type of vehicle pulled in front of Stone's truck, causing him to lose control and go off the bridge.

Police said the crash remains under investigation.

Northbound lanes of U.S. 301 Bypass were closed Monday, but one lane reopened Tuesday. State Department of Transportation officials said the other lane would remain closed until July 9 so engineers can inspect the bridge and make needed repairs.

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