STATESVILLE, N.C. — A woman died in a crash hours after she had been reported missing.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers located a 2003 Lexus RX300 with a deceased driver on Wednesday around 10:35 a.m. on Brushy Mountain Road near Orchard Road in Wilkes County. Investigators determined the vehicle was traveling north, crossed the centerline, ran off the road, went down an embankment, and overturned.
The stretch of road is a familiar one to locals of the area.
“It’d be good to get some guardrails," Jonah Parker, a Wilkes County man who lives in the area said. "That's the biggest thing to do now to make it any safer.”
Parker, 95, owns with his family a popular apple orchard that sits on Brushy Mountain Rd which is just down the road from the accident.
"Motorcycles love this mountain," Parker said. "I've counted motorcycle wrecks."
The driver of the vehicle, Barbara Houser Bellamy, 74, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities believe Houser Bellamy crashed overnight.
RELATED: After 13 years, family of Brittanee Drexel, girl who went missing in Myrtle Beach, gets justice
Houser Bellamy was reported missing on Tuesday and was last seen around 3:30 p.m. in Statesville. A Silver Alert was issued for her disappearance by the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons.
Residents from the area say there are multiple roads in the area that need guardrails due to dangerous accidents.
"When a fatality occurs along NCDOT roadways, our Regional Traffic Engineering office conducts a review of the location to determine if any safety improvements are warranted," said a spokesperson for NCDOT in response to the accident.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts
Locked On is the leading podcast network for local sports and is owned by WCNC Charlotte's parent company TEGNA.
Listen to Locked On here.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.