Man dies in crash
This was the scene of a fatal crash in the Bethlehem area on Rink Dam Road on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Fire Dept.)
A Taylorsville man has died following a single car crash in the Bethlehem Community.
On Thursday, April 23, 2026, at approximately 2:12 p.m., the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to and investigated a fatal collision on Rink Dam Road near Wittenburg Springs Drive, in Alexander County. A 2017 Dodge Durango was traveling East on Rink Dam Road and drove off the right side of the road and collided with a mailbox and a tree, said Senior Trooper Jake Macchia of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
The driver of the Durango, Peter Joseph Gardner, age 66, of Taylorsville succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the collision.
The initial investigation does not indicate speed or impairment to be contributing factors in the collision. Witnesses stated Mr. Gardner possibly had medical condition prior to the collision.
