On Thursday morning (March 10th) shortly before 5 AM, a tractor-trailer crashed into the rear of a van that was stopped in the right southbound lane of US 321 north of Lincolnton.   The wreck, near mile marker 26, claimed the life of the operator of the 2011 Ford Econoline van,  Anthony Robert Valverde, 23, of Fort Mill, South Carolina.  The wreck resulted in the southbound lanes of US 321 being closed to traffic for almost three hours between the US 321-business exit 28 (Maiden Highway)and the East Main Street (NC 27-150) exit.  

While Valverde succumbed to his injuries at the scene, the driver of the tractor-trailer, Johnny Sain, 63, of Hendersonville, was not injured.