What started as a response to one crash on I-95 quickly turned into something far more tragic for Gaston, North Carolina’s Fire & Rescue. On May 28, while crews were already on scene for an unrelated car accident, workers from a nearby billboard crew flagged them down with a concern of their own. They had noticed signs of another possible car wreck off in the woods.

Fire and rescue personnel shifted focus and investigated the area the crew pointed out. Deep in the tree line, they found a heavily damaged coupe, almost completely hidden from the highway. Near the vehicle, they discovered the body of an adult male who had died in the crash.

Based on the condition of the vehicle and surrounding area, responders believe the car wreck had happened several days earlier

The crash had gone unnoticed until the billboard crew happened to see signs of it while working overhead.

During the investigation and recovery effort, authorities closed one lane of I-95 to maintain safety for responders. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol has taken over the case and is working to determine when and how the crash occurred. At this time, there’s no indication that other vehicles were involved.

A friend of the driver shared their heartbreak on Facebook, explaining that they had spoken to him early Monday morning, just after 2:30 a.m.

Reportedly, he’d been at a pool party in Richmond on Sunday and was on his way to pick them up before heading back. During the call, he said he was about 30 minutes from Petersburg and would reach out again once he got closer to Roanoke Rapids. They agreed to reconnect, but that second call never came.

When the friend tried calling back, there was no answer. Texts also went unanswered. Days later, they saw a post saying he was missing. That’s when everything clicked. The crash had happened while he was on his way to see them. He had been lying in the woods alone for days before anyone found him.

The friend also recalled that he had survived a car wreck the year before, which made this even harder to accept. They said they couldn’t understand how this happened again and expressed how painful it was to know he died alone. He had been their best friend, always bringing good energy wherever he went.

This stretch of I-95 in Northampton County sees heavy, fast-moving traffic, but it’s flanked by thick woods. When a vehicle veers off far enough, it can easily disappear from view, even in broad daylight.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, more than 1,600 people died in vehicle crashes across the state last year. Many of those involved single vehicles and remote locations.

Officials have not released the identity of the man found at the scene, pending notification of next of kin. The investigation remains ongoing.