Yesterday morning at approximately 12:25 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Catawba County on Mathis Church Road near Sunset View Lane. A 2008 Honda Civic was traveling south on Mathis Church Road, lost control in a curve, ran off the roadway to the left, and collided with a utility pole. The driver, Ryan Thomas Coots, 27, died at the scene. He was the only occupant in the vehicle and was restrained by a seatbelt. The initial investigation indicates excessive speed to be a contributing circumstance in the collision.
