80-year-old man found dead after driving around roadblock into high water

SUPPLY, N.C. (AP) — An 80-year-old North Carolina man was found dead after driving around a roadblock into high water after midnight.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it responded around 12:20 a.m. Tuesday to a report of a submerged vehicle on state Route 211 in Brunswick County.

It happened amid extreme flooding: Carolina Beach in neighboring New Hanover County recorded more than 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain in 12 hours and almost 21 overall. That much rain qualifies as a flood expected only once in 1,000 years, meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Wilmington said.

The highway patrol’s news release says sheriff’s vehicles had stopped in the road with their lights activated, aiming to prevent cars from entering a flooded area where the road was impassable. But Richard Walton Robinson of Southport drove around the vehicles and into high water. His Subaru Crosstrek became completely submerged and a responding swift water rescue team was not able to find it.

First responders returned later and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team located the vehicle with Robinson found dead inside, the highway patrol said. Alcohol and speed don’t appear to be factors, the statement said. Officials have not said whether his death is storm related.

Flash flooding closed dozens of roads in Brunswick County at North Carolina’s southeast tip. Dozens of roads were washed out or otherwise damaged.