A 71-year-old man from Vass passed away after he crashed on U.S. Highway 1 north of Southern Pines on Saturday morning.

When Southern Pines firefighters arrived, the man was unresponsive, and CPR was given at the scene. Moore County EMS transported him to Moore Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The N.C. Highway Patrol tells Moore County News that the man was driving the southbound left lane in his Dodge Ram pick-up truck. He went off the side of the road into the median, his driver’s mirror stuck a tree, and he continued down the median until he struck a guardrail. Troopers say this incident could have been a lot worse if the median wasn’t a steep drainage area that prevented the Ram from going into the northbound lanes.

According to investigators, the man likely had a medical episode prior to running off the road, which resulted in his death. They do not believe the impact of the crash caused the death.

The inside lanes in both directions of U.S. 1 were closed during the crash investigation. Deputies from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control.