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Car wreck claims life of former Observer reporter |
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| Former Littleton Observer reporter Doug Bearce was killed in a late-night car crash last week in Warren County. Bearce, well-known in the region as a writer, worked for a number of years with the Observer, writing features, news stories, and displaying an affinity for covering small track racing at Clary’s Speedway in Brinkleyville. He was also known to enjoy dressing up in a clown suit and make-up to perform at area festivals, fairs, and participate in parades. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper C. I. Hundley, Bearce was driving a 1991 Nissan Stanza on Robinson Ferry Road, about 19 miles northeast of Norlina, late Wednesday, Aug. 1, when the wreck occurred. “Going down the road, it looks like he ran off the road to the left, side-swiped some trees, the car spun out, then came to rest against some other trees,” Hundley said. The trooper added the car caught fire during the crash. “When it came to rest, the driver’s door was blocked by some trees,” he said. The trooper said he did not yet know what caused the car to catch fire, nor did he know the actual cause of death. An official with the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill, who would only give her first name as “Mary,” refused to release any information. “We don’t talk to reporters,” was all that she would say. The wreck occurred in an area near Lake Gaston that is populated primarily by vacation homes, most of which were vacant at the time, so the wreck was not discovered until the next morning. “Someone was out walking and found it around 8 a.m.” Hundley said. The trooper said the body had to be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for identification, and by late Friday afternoon his next of kin had not yet been notified. By Monday, they had been, the state police said. Bearce was 60 years old. No funeral or memorial service arrangements were available at press time. |
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| Aug 8, 2007 | ||
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