Gaston Fire and Rescue says two people died following a crash on Highway 46 near Hickory Hollow Road outside Gaston early this morning.
There was no immediate answer at the North Carolina State Highway Patrol office in Roanoke Rapids this morning for additional information.
The car in the aftermath of the crash is seen in this photo provided by Gaston Fire and Rescue.
Gaston Fire Chief Ed Porter Jr. said in a statement units were dispatched just before 2 a.m.to a call of a vehicle on fire in the woods.
The vehicle was found off the highway and in a wooded area. The passenger car was engulfed in flames.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and found two people perished in the flames.
The driver was male and the passenger female.
Autopsies have been ordered by Northampton County Medical Examiner Paul Nowell for positive identification.
The rear of the vehicle was found crushed into itself causing the fuel tank to split. The probable cause of the fire is suspected to be from the fuel tank rupture following the collision.
The highway was closed to one lane of travel during the response.
Crews remained on scene for approximately three hours.
The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, Northampton County EMS, and Conway-Severn Rescue Squad assisted.