MERRY HILL – An Alabama woman lost her life in a one-vehicle accident near here Sunday.

Crystal Ziglar, 21, of Montgomery, Alabama was killed when the vehicle in which she was believed to be a passenger left the roadway on U.S. 17 and struck a tree.

The accident happened just approximately 11 miles northeast of Windsor and is believed to have occurred around 3 a.m.

According to Sgt. K.D. Owens of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the vehicle could not be seen from the roadway and no one was discovered the accident until one of the victims walked to the roadside between 12:30 and 1 p.m.

The likely driver of the vehicle, Michael Anthony Pastore Jr., 21, of Greene Creek, New Jersey, was discovered after walking to the roadside. A truck driver spotted him and made the call alerting authorities of the accident.

&uot;The accident apparently knocked him unconscious,&uot; Sgt. Owens said. &uot;When he regained consciousness, he walked to the road and was spotted.&uot;

Sgt. Owens said Pastore was taken to Pitt Memorial Hospital. A spokesperson for the hospital said Pastore was in fair condition Monday afternoon.

State Trooper M.J. Raines handled the investigation.

Any contributing factors were unknown pending a full report, though speed was possibly a factor.

Charges are pending in the accident.