Wilmington man dies in crash after avoiding coyote carcass on highway

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man died in a single-vehicle crash in Riegelwood Thursday morning.

It happened in the 4500 block of N.C. Highway 87 around 6:38 a.m.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol identified the victim as Neil William Perry, 55.

They say Perry was driving a BMW Z3 and was wearing his seatbelt.

According to the highway patrol’s preliminary report, Perry was attempting to avoid colliding with a coyote carcass in the middle of the highway.

A state trooper said there was no blood or hairs from the coyote found on the car which would indicate a collision with the animal.

When Perry swerved, he hit a ditch, overturned and collided with a tree. No one else was in the vehicle.

Acme-Delco-Riegelwood Fire & Rescue Department responded to the scene. They said Perry had no “shockable rhythm” and he could not be resuscitated.

Perry was a part-time faculty member in the Communication & Media program at Methodist University.

“With a heavy heart, I share the news that Neil Perry, part-time faculty member in Communication & Media, died in a car accident this morning. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife and family and to all the members of our community that Neil touched with his passion for teaching at MU,” said Suzanne Blue Malley, Provost for Methodist University. 

“Neil brought the deep experience of his long career in media production to the classroom, including from his work on Grammy and Emmy nominated music, TV, and film projects, and gold and platinum certifications,” Malley said. “We hold him and his loved ones in our hearts.”