A North Carolina community is mourning after a missing rideshare driver was found dead days after he disappeared, authorities confirmed.
According to reports from CBS affiliate coverage, 48-year-old Linwood Phillips, a rideshare driver from Cary, was reported missing after he was last seen on April 2. He had been in the area of Cary Towne Boulevard near Interstate 40 and was believed to be making a delivery shortly before his disappearance.
Days later, on April 6, Raleigh police responded to reports of an overturned vehicle off a ramp connecting Interstate 40 to Wade Avenue. Officers discovered the SUV down an embankment in a wooded area, where Phillips was found inside the vehicle deceased.
Investigators say preliminary findings indicate the vehicle veered off the roadway at a high rate of speed—estimated around 70 mph—before going airborne and overturning. Authorities believe Phillips died on impact due to the severity of the crash, particularly damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Family members played a heartbreaking role in locating him. While searching the area themselves, a relative reportedly spotted a wheel in the woods, leading them to the crash site.
Phillips worked as a driver for rideshare platforms Uber and Lyft, though officials confirmed he was not actively on a trip at the time of the crash.
In a statement, local police expressed gratitude to the public for assisting in the search efforts, while also extending condolences to Phillips’ loved ones. “This is not the outcome we hoped for,” authorities said.
The crash remains under investigation as officials work to determine the exact circumstances leading up to the incident.
