IFN Staff

A Walkerton man faces felony charges in connection with a fatal crash that occurred on Interstate 77 in northern Iredell County on Saturday night.

The N.C. Highway Patrol announced the arrest of Benjamin Wesley Overton, 31, of Hanley Way, Walkertown, in a news release.

Overton was operating a 2006 Ford F-250 that struck a 2023 Kia Sportage driven by Jessica Lyndsay Horton of Mooresville about 10:10 p.m. on Saturday, according to the NCSHP.

The crash, which occurred near mile marker 62, caused both southbound vehicles to travel off the right side of the road and hit the guardrail, troopers said.

The Kia overturned, causing Horton, 47, and a passenger whose name was not released to be ejected, troopers said. Both died from their injuries at the scene, according to the NCSHP.

Overton was not injured.

According to the NCSHP, the initial investigation indicates excessive speed and impairment to be contributing factors in the collision.

Overton was arrested and charged with two counts of felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, and driving while license revoked.

He is being held at the Iredell County Detention Center in lieu of a $2.5 million bond.

Additional charges are pending upon completion of the investigation and consultation with the Iredell County District Attorney’s office.

During the on-scene investigation, I-77 was closed in the area for about 10 hours.