Oakboro man dies after three-car collision

Published 11:43 am Monday, December 13, 2021

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A three-car collision occurred Wednesday afternoon on the outskirts of Albemarle which resulted in the death of an Oakboro resident.

At around 2:21 p.m., 25-year-old Jeffrey Helms of Albemarle was traveling west on N.C. Highway 24-27 in his 2013 Dodge Ram pickup when he failed to reduce speed and collided with Norma Kennedy of Oakboro, who was stopped in the traveling lane for a school bus, according to the State Highway Patrol.

Kennedy’s 1995 Honda then struck Sherry Huntley of Oakboro, who was driving a 1997 Mercury.

Buddy Hatley, 75, who was a passenger in Kennedy’s vehicle, was transported by EMS to Atrium Health Stanly, where he later died from his injuries. Kennedy was taken to a hospital for treatment and her condition is not available at the moment.

Helms has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed. His next court date is Jan. 4.

The accident remains under investigation.

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.

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