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Man dies after high-speed chase, fiery wreck in Durham County

One man was killed and two other people were injured early Saturday morning after a high-speed chase ended in a fiery crash on North Carolina Highway 98 in Durham County, state Highway Patrol officials said.

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NC Highway 98 wreck
DURHAM, N.C. — One man was killed and two other people were injured early Saturday morning after a high-speed chase ended in a fiery crash on North Carolina Highway 98 in Durham County, state Highway Patrol officials said.

According to authorities, the chase started about 2:30 a.m. when a man driving a Chrysler Crossfire tried to avoid a DWI checkpoint near North Adams Road.

Shortly after troopers began pursuing him, he lost control of his car, crossed the center line and hit a small box truck with two people inside. Both the car and the truck burst into flames, troopers said. 

Authorities helped the driver of the box truck escape the cab, and the passenger was able to get out on their own. Neither person has been identified, but troopers said both were taken to Duke University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

The man in the Crossfire has also not been identified, but troopers said he died at the scene. It was unclear why the man tried to avoid the checkpoint.

One patrol vehicle involved in the chase hit a utility pole trying to avoid the wreck, but the trooper was uninjured. N.C. Highway 98 was closed in both directions for about four hours as crews worked to clean up the wreck.

No other information was immediately available.

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