CARTERET COUNTY, NC. (THECOUNT) — James Zientek, of Beaufort, North Carolina, has been identified as the victim in a fatal Carteret County crash Sunday afternoon.

“Jimmy” Zientek, 54, was killed in a single-vehicle submersion crash in Carteret County on Sunday afternoon.

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According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Zientek was operating a 1998 Volkswagen on Highway 101 in Beaufort, when for unknown reasons, the vehicle crossed centerlines and exited the roadway. The vehicle then entered a culvert and rolled over into a canal.

Zientek, who was trapped underwater for approximately 20 minutes, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the crash report.

Troopers believe speed nor impairment were factors in the crash.

Friends and family members took to Facebook to remember Zientek:

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Geo quick facts: Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. The county was created in 1722 as Carteret Precinct and gained county status in 1739 – Wikipedia.