NORTH CAROLINA — One person was killed and three others were hospitalized following a motorcycle crash in Burke County on Saturday morning, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Troopers responded to the scene on NC 181 around 11:05 a.m., where they found two motorcycles — a 2002 Kawasaki and a 2016 Yamaha — had collided.
The driver of the Kawasaki, 44-year-old James Clifton Vaughan III, was pronounced dead at the scene.
His passenger, 31-year-old Brandy Nicole Isaacs, was ejected from the motorcycle and transported to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical condition.
The Yamaha was being driven by 52-year-old Timothy Daniel Gragg. He and his passenger were both hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to investigators, the Kawasaki was traveling north on NC 181 and attempted to pass several motorcycles in a no-passing zone, leading to a head-on collision with the southbound Yamaha.
Authorities say speed and improper passing were contributing factors in the crash.
NC 181 was closed for about two hours as troopers investigated. No charges will be filed.
