Fatal collision on NC 163 in Ashe County – Wednesday October 16, 2024
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West Jefferson – On Wednesday, October 16, at approximately 9:35 a.m., the NC State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision in Ashe County on NC 163 near Heritage Farm Road. A 2015 Toyota Tacoma traveling north on NC163 crossed the center line and struck a southbound 2004 Toyota Tacoma head-on.
The driver of the 2004 Tacoma, Gary Jackson Taylor, 80, of West Jefferson, was transported by EMS to Ashe Memorial Hospital, in Jefferson, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The driver of the 2015 Tacoma, Grayson Cole Blevins, 16, of Creston, was transported by medical helicopter to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in Winston Salem, in serious condition. Blevins was not restrained by a seatbelt.
The initial investigation indicates speed and impairment were not contributing factors in the collision. Upon completion of the ongoing investigation and consultation with the Ashe County District Attorney’s office, charges are pending. NC163 was closed in the area for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation.
