EURE – An early morning commute to work turned deadly for a Bertie County man on Feb. 10 as he traveled on US 13 in Gates County.

Michael Freeman Sr., 58, of Indian Woods Road, Lewiston-Woodville, was killed shortly after 3 a.m. while driving from his home to the Norfolk Shipyard, where he was employed.

According to the accident report filed by North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper W.S. Smith, Freeman was operating a 2002 Saturn passenger car northbound on US 13 just north of Tar Heel Barbecue.

Meanwhile, a 2001 Jaguar passenger car, driven by 41-year-old Bobby Ray Winnegan of Suffolk, VA, was southbound on US 13.

For reasons unknown, Winnegan’s car crossed the center line of the road and struck Freeman’s vehicle head-on.

Freeman died at the scene, according to Smith’s report.

Winnigan was transported to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Trooper Smith charged Winnegan with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving left of center. There were no other contributing factors to the accident.

The fatality was the third of the year on roadways in the Troop A / District II area of the NC Highway Patrol (Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties). It was the first of the year in Gates County.