04/18/2026
LENOIR — On Friday, April 17, at approximately 10:46 p.m., the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision on U.S. 64 at Union Baptist Road in Caldwell County.
A 2018 Ford F-150 was traveling east on U.S. 64, crossed the centerline, and collided with a 2006 Honda Civic. The Ford F-150 then ran off the roadway and struck a guardrail and a utility pole. The driver of the Ford then fled the scene on foot. The Honda came to rest sideways in the roadway after the initial collision.
Shortly after the initial collision, a 2015 Ford F-250 traveling west on U.S. 64 collided with the Honda, in the roadway.
The driver of the Ford F-150, Matthew Braden Frye, 20, of Hickory, was located in the woods nearby and taken into custody by Troopers. He was not injured.
The driver of the Honda, Pink Grant Lackey, 78, of Lenoir, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The front-seat passenger, an 11-year-old juvenile of Lenoir, also succumbed to injuries at the scene.
The driver of the Ford F-250, Barrett Samuel Belk, 22, of Lenoir, was not injured.
The initial investigation indicates that speed and impairment were contributing factors in the collision. Mr. Frye was charged with two counts of felony death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and improper passing. Additional charges are pending following consultation with the District Attorney’s Office.
U.S. 64 was closed for several hours while troopers conducted the on-scene investigation.
