Brunswick man dies after being shot by Highway Patrol trooper

A Brunswick County man has died after he was shot Tuesday night by a State Highway Patrol trooper during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Brandon Lovell Webster, 28, of Shallotte, was pronounced dead at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center.

Trooper S.A. Collins pulled Webster over on Holden Beach Road in Shallotte at about 8:55 p.m., but as Collins approached the vehicle, Webster accelerated toward him, authorities said.

Collins shot at the fleeing car, and Webster apparently drove himself to the hospital because that is where investigators found him.

The State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting, and Collins, who has been with the Highway Patrol for one year, has been placed on administrative duty pending the results of that review and an internal investigation.

In October, Trooper Kevin Conner was killed during a traffic stop in neighboring Columbus County. Two men have been charged in his death,