Man Found Dead From Gunshot Wound After Crashing Solid-Axle Corvette

When Asheboro Officer Leah Burnette walked up to the 1961 Corvette she had just stopped for speeding through a stoplight at the intersection of Fayetteville and Salisbury streets just after 11 p.m on Thursday, February 15th, like many traffic stops, she had no idea how it would all play out.

After pursuing the Corvette, the driver 36-year-old Travis Lee Vogt, pulled into a parking lot. Officer Burnette asked where he was going in such a hurry. To which he replied, “I’m going to Asheboro.” After receiving Vogt’s driver’s license, and suspecting that Vogt had been drinking, she asked him to take a sobriety test.

As Burnette was walking back to her car, Vogt decided to take his chances and try and run from Officer Burnette. The officer gave chase through the streets of Asheboro, sometimes at speeds over 100 mph. The officer lost sight of the car momentarily but was quickly reunited when she came upon the vehicle, which had now been viciously parked, partially inside the Zeko’s Pizza at the intersection of Fayetteville and Allred streets.

Damage for both the Corvette and the restaurant were estimated at $30,000 each. The restaurant opened the following day, the Corvette was not so lucky.

According to the police report, Vogt lost control of the Corvette in the intersection and traveled 65 feet, did a 180-degree spin and slammed into the building with the left side of the vehicle, partially collapsing the exterior wall. While the restaurant was closed, there were some employees inside the building during the incident.

Vogt lost control of the Corvette in the intersection and traveled 65 feet, did a 180-degree spin and slammed into the building

Turns out that Vogt did not own the Corvette, and the car’s owner Michael Johnston reports that he did not give Vogt permission to drive the Corvette. For both the building and the Corvette, damage was estimated at $30,000 each. The restaurant re-opened Friday evening and a warrant was issued for Vogt for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and several other violations.

The search continued for several days until police responded to a call at Vogt’s home on Tuesday, February 20th. Vogt was found in his home, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

About the author

Andy Bolig

Andy has been intrigued by mechanical things all of his life and enjoys tinkering with cars of all makes and ages. Finding value in style points, he can appreciate cars of all power and performance levels. Andy is an avid railfan and gets his “high” by flying radio-controlled model airplanes when time permits. He keeps his feet firmly grounded by working on his two street rods and his supercharged C4 Corvette. Whether planes, trains, motorcycles, or automobiles, Andy has immersed himself in a world driven by internal combustion.
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