New Salisbury man dies in crash


A 41-year-old New Salisbury man died Friday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash.
According to a report by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Dept., James R. Payton was traveling west on Hancock Chapel Road in a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero when the vehicle left the roadway on the north side and went into the grass.
Police said Payton re-entered the roadway then exited on the south side where he struck a tree in the 300 block of Hancock Chapel.
According to the report, Payton was not wearing a seat belt but his air bag did deploy. The report indicated he was driving at an unsafe speed when the crash occurred.