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Speed was likely a contributing factor to a wreck that claimed the life of an Advance man Friday night.

Eric Vaughn Johnson, 46, was driving a 2003 Nissan 350Z on Baltimore Road near Juney Beauchamp Road around 7:30 p.m. when he drove slightly off the road on the right, overcorrected and ran off the road to the left, according to 1st Sgt. F.C. Ferguson of the NC Highway Patrol.

Ferguson said when the car ran off the road to the left, it began to overturn and struck several trees, splitting the car in half.

Johnson, who died on impact, was ejected from the car. He was not wearing a seat belt.

In his report, investigating Trooper A.T. Doss estimated Johnson had been traveling around 100 mph and 70 mph at impact. The speed limit in that area is 55 mph.

After the wreck, part of the car came to rest in Bailey Creek and the remainder stayed against the trees. Fuel leaked from the vehicle into the creek and HAZMAT cleanup was provided.

Johnson would have turned 47 next month.

Ferguson said he does not know where Johnson, who lives off Gun Club Road, was headed at the time of the accident. He was traveling south on a road that has seen its share of fatal accidents in the past.

Brian Byrd, EMS director, remembers just over a year ago an accident in that stretch that killed three teenagers, who were also traveling at a high rate of speed.

“We’ve had several bad accidents in about a quarter to a half mile stretch on that road mostly from people driving too fast. I don’t know what it will take to slow people down,” he said.

If there was anything positive to come from the accident, Byrd said, it was that no other vehicles were involved.

Ferguson said a family in another vehicle witnessed the crash but were fortunate to have not hit by Johnson.

The Smith Grove Fire Department, Davie Rescue Squad, Davie EMS, and the Davie County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management also responded.