PILOT MOUNTAIN — A single vehicle accident involving a motorcycle resulted in one being airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Health Sunday night.

Surry County Emergency Services Director John Shelton said the accident occurred at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on Tom Hunter Road near Kermit Lewis Road. The victim in the accident has been identified as 46-year old Anthony Tate of Lewis Drive in Mount Airy.

According to North Carolina Highway Patrol Officer Robert Boyes, Tate had left his home and was within 800 yards of his driveway traveling northeast on the road when his 2002 Harley Davidson motorcycle went to the left in an area where the road curved right.

After crossing the center lines of the road, the motorcycle continued on until it drove off the left side of the road and into a steep ditch that was lined with large quarry rocks used to keep the ditch from filling in due to water erosion. The cycle struck the large rocks, throwing Tate from the bike as it came to rest on its side.

Boyes indicated that most of Tate’s apparent injuries were facial and head trauma. He said that Tate also suffered a broken neck vertebrae in the accident. He was airlifted by AirCare from the Neighbors Store on N.C. 268 at U.S. 52 to Baptist hospital in critical but stable condition. According to Boyes, Tate was communicating freely to persons on the scene and went in and out of consciousness.

Boyes said that Monday, Tate was out of surgery and in the ICU at Baptist in serious but stable condition and was communicating with the medical staff.

“He’s a very lucky person considering the consequences of his actions,” commented Boyes. “People at his residence say they heard the cycle’s engine rev up and then it went off suddenly as if it quit. Friends and family members were the first on the scene and were responsible for getting Surry EMS’s help to him so quickly. His bleeding was severe.”

Units responding to the accident included Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Department, Pilot Mountain Rescue, Surry Emergency Medical Services and the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

Boyes said that speed was not a factor in the accident. Tate is facing charges of suspicion of driving impaired, having an altered registration on the cycle and not wearing a helmet. The investigation is ongoing, Boyes said.