AHOSKIE – Excessive speed and suspected alcohol use are being listed as contributing factors of a deadly motor vehicle accident west of Ahoskie Monday evening.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reports the death of Tessa Renita Nowell, 39, of Woodland. She was alone in a 1995 Ford mini van traveling east on NC 561 at approximately 7 p.m.

According to a report filed by NCHP Trooper Marc Cerbone, the accident occurred between Slade’s Store and Tri-County Airport. There, Cerbone’s investigation revealed that Nowell’s vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway, came back in the lane of travel and crossed the center line, again returning to the lane of travel. The van then crossed the center line for a second time, this time traveling off the left side of the road where it struck a ditch and overturned at least twice.

Trooper Cerbone’s report indicated that Nowell, who was unrestrained by a seat belt, was ejected from the van and landed in a yard of a private residence. She was pronounced dead at Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie.

The deadly accident, the second on NC 561 West over the past two weeks, was the third in Hertford County this year. All totaled, the NCHP’s Troop A, District II area (Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties) has recorded six motor vehicle fatalities in 2011.