Mark Randall Childers, 59, of Newton, died Thursday morning when a car struck his motorcycle on Interstate 40. The crash happened around 6:46 a.m. near Exit 119 in Burke County, close to Hildebran. He was riding a 2026 Harley-Davidson when a 2014 Ford passenger car hit him.
The Ford, driven by Graham Anthony Patterson, 37, of Morganton, was heading west in the left lane. It crossed the centerline and slammed into the motorcycle. Mark lost control right away. The force threw him into the guardrail.
He died at the scene from his injuries. Patterson walked away without a scratch. North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers got there quick and looked into what happened.
Speed and impairment played no part in the crash, troopers said. Still, they charged Patterson with failing to maintain lane control. They also charged him with having no operator’s license and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.
Mark lived in Newton. He was out on the road early that day on his Harley. One wrong move by the other driver ended it all before most folks had even finished their coffee.
Patterson is not listed as an inmate in Burke County right now. The investigation wrapped up with those three charges. Mark’s final ride stopped hard against that guardrail on a quiet stretch of I-40.
Friends and family in the Newton area now face the sudden loss. The highway reopened after troopers finished their work at the scene.
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