IFN Staff

A Utah man was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 77 near Troutman early Friday morning.

N.C. State Highway Patrol troopers responded to a report of a collision on I-77 near mile marker 42 about 2 a.m. on Friday. A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado, traveling south in the northbound lanes, collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, causing the tractor-trailer to overturn and catch fire, troopers said.

The driver of the Silverado, identified as Eric Anthony Pompa, 31, of Layton, Utah, was wearing a seat belt but was ejected from the vehicle and succumbed to his injuries at the scene, according to the NCSHP.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, identified as Cecil Ward, 52, of Tampa, Fla., was transported to Atrium Wake-Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem with non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said.

The initial investigation indicates impairment to be a contributing factor in this case.

Due to the on-scene investigation and clean-up, I-77 was closed for several hours. 

No charges will be filed in this case.