Layton man dies in Saturday morning car crash

A Layton man died Saturday morning after he drove off Highway 89 and crashed into a pole.

Police identified the driver as 75-year-old Charles Black, who was the only person in the car. He was the owner of Black Island Farms, a Syracuse vegetable farm that hosts family-friendly events in the fall such as pumpkin patches, corn mazes and a haunted house around Halloween.

Black was heading north in a Buick sedan at 8:50 a.m. when he drove off the road near 750 North in Layton, said Layton Sgt. Jeff Roderick. The vehicle subsequently hit a pole and caught fire. Roderick said the man died at the scene.

By Saturday evening, police did not know why the car went off the road. Roderick said investigators didn't know if the man had a medical condition or other issue that could have contributed, though he added that the car was moving at the same speed as the surrounding traffic.

"He wasn't flying past anybody," Roderick said.

The accident led police to reduce northbound Highway 89 in the vicinity of the accident to one lane. The closure lasted until 1 p.m.

jdalrymple@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jimmycdii