A morning commute turned fatal for a Maxton man amid icy conditions.

The state Highway Patrol said that 54-year old Billy Ray Oxendine, of Oxendine School Road was killed after losing control of his 1999 Chevrolet Blazer at 7:18 a.m. while heading west Highway 71, just north of Maxton.

"We had a vehicle cross the center line, it apparently lost control in the snow, and collided with a tractor trailer head-on," said 1st Sgt F.L. Johnson of the Highway Patrol.

He said that the patrol believes Oxendine lost control of his vehicle, initially running off the road before overcorrecting and going left of the center line.

Oxendine was pronounced dead at the scene.

Johnson said road conditions were to blame for the accident.

"That side of the county got a good amount of snow this morning - the roads were covered," Johnson said.

He added that Oxendine was wearing his seat belt at the time of the wreck.

The driver of the tractor trailer, Charles Kennedy, of Bennetsville, was not injured in the accident and is not being charged, according to the Highway Patrol.