Rocky Mount man killed in traffic wreck

A 63-year-old Rocky Mount man died at the scene of an accident on Sunday night after crashing his car into the back of a sport utility vehicle parked at a red light on Bethlehem Road.

Charlie Lynch, whose address was not available, died in the crash despite the release of an air bag in the mid-size Ford he was driving.

At 10:23 p.m., Rocky Mount police responded to the vehicle collision at the intersection of Bethlehem Road and West Mount Drive. One adult and four children who were passengers in the Lincoln Navigator that Lynch crashed into suffered minor injuries. They were treated and released from Nash General Hospital.

The Rocky Mount Police Department’s traffic unit continues to investigate the crash. It is unknown at this time whether alcohol played a role in it, said Senior Police Officer Wayne Harrell.

“We’re waiting on a blood test (of Lynch),” he said.

It was not raining at the time of the collision, and excessive speed did not appear to be a factor, Harrell said.