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GATESVILLE – An elderly driver was tragically killed near here on Aug. 16 in a single vehicle accident.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reports that 72-year-old Ulysses Lawrence Eure Jr. of Gatesville was the victim.

In his accident report, NCHP Trooper Jason Williams noted that Eure was operating a 2011 Chevrolet pick up truck southbound on NC 37 shortly before 11 am, approximately 2.4 miles north of Gatesville.

At a point near the intersection of NC 37 and SR 1315 (Cotton Gin Road), Eure’s vehicle entered a curve at which time it traveled off the right side of the highway.

Williams said Eure overcorrected his steering at that point, causing the truck to re-enter the road where he lost control. The truck then traveled again off the right side of the road where it impacted a ditch, causing the vehicle to overturn several times.

The Trooper’s report showed that Eure was not wearing a seat belt. He died at the scene.

The report also showed that speed (greater than the 55 mph limit) was among the contributing factors to the cause of the accident.

The fatality was the eighth of the year in the Highway Patrol’s Troop A / District II area, which covers Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties. Three of those fatalities have occurred in Gates County.