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Two local men were killed in separate motor vehicle accidents on April 9 and April 10.

In Gates County, 89-year-old Robert Turner Jr. of Gates lost his life in a single-vehicle accident on Reynoldson Road (RP 1212) at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 9.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper J.C. Copeland, Turner was operating a Toyota pickup truck. The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road and overturned. Copeland’s report showed that Turner was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected. He died at the scene.

There were no contributing factors to the accident.

The fatality was the third of the year within the NCHP’s Troop A / District 2 area, which includes Gates, Bertie, and Hertford counties.

One day later (Saturday, April 10), William Baggett, 71, of Millennium died in a single vehicle accident that occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on NC 305 near Rich Square.

NCHP Sgt. Angel Genao said that Baggett was operating a Ford Escape that traveled left of center and off the highway before striking a tree.

Baggett’s wife, Jennifer, age 68, was injured and transported to the hospital.

Other than traveling left of center, there were no other contributing factors to the accident.