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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are expecting: 5 things to know Monday, October 15

Kensington Palace announced another royal baby is on the way! The Panthers' comeback bid fell short in the nation's capital, a North Carolina pastor was freed from a Turkish prison and a new report says North Carolina is one of the most dangerous states for drivers.

1. Royal baby alert: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are expecting!

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — are expecting a baby this spring, Kensington Palace announced Monday as the couple began a tour of Australia.

The baby will be seventh in line to the throne.

"Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public," the palace said in a statement.

Markle sparked speculation she was pregnant by wearing an oversize coat to Princess Eugenie's wedding last week in Windsor, England. That speculation was further fueled when she arrived in Sydney clutching two large folders in front of her stomach.

2. A death investigation is underway after a body was found near I-77 in Huntersville

A death investigation is underway after authorities recovered a body near Huntersville.

Officers received a call a little after 6 p.m. regarding a body found in a wooded area off of I-77 at exit 23, Gilead Road. The cause of death is still undetermined. Huntersville police are investigating how the body ended up in that location.

Police are not releasing specific details on the victim, but as far as they know, it has nothing to do with a missing persons report.

3. The Panthers' comeback bid against Washington fell short

Down 20-9 in the fourth quarter, Cam Newton engineered a nine-play touchdown drive capped by Torrey Smith's three-yard touchdown catch. Newton again connected with Smith on the two-point conversion.

After a Washington field goal, the Panthers again marched into Redskins territory but three straight incompletions in the red zone ended the comeback bid. Newton finished the game 27-40 with 275 yards and two scores.

Former Panther Josh Norman bounced back from a rough outing against New Orleans, intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble from rookie DJ Moore. It was Norman's first interception since December of 2016.

Carolina will wrap up their NFC East schedule Sunday with a trip to Philadelphia against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

4. A North Carolina pastor is back home after spending nearly two years in a Turkish prison

Pastor Andrew Brunson was charged with spying and terrorism in Turkey in 2016. He was freed on Friday and went to the White House Saturday.

Sunday, his home church in Montreat, N.C. celebrated his safe return home. Christ Community Church gathered for a service to celebrate his release from prison in Turkey.

Saturday, Brunson made a stop at the White House to meet with President Trump and pray for him.

“Lord God I ask that you pour out your Holy Spirit on President Trump and that you give him supernatural wisdom to accomplish all the plans you have for this country and for him,” he said.

5. North Carolina is one of the worst states for deadly crashes, according to a new study

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 1,412 deaths in North Carolina in 2017. That places North Carolina only behind Texas, California, Florida and Georgia. According to the NHTSA, alcohol played a role in almost one-third of North Carolina’s deadly wrecks.

Charlotte is part of the problem. The number of fatalities in the Queen City jumped significantly in the last year even though the number of total crashes declined. Charlotte reported 71 fatal crashes that killed 74 people on city streets last year compared to 53 fatal crashes the year before, which marked the third consecutive annual increase. Through June of this year, Charlotte reported 35 deadly crashes.

Lack of seat belt use continues to be a major problem with 61 percent of the people killed in the city’s crashes not wearing their seatbelts, according to public records. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the fatal crashes involved speeding, the city reported.

NHTSA data shows South Carolina had far fewer fatal crashes in 2017 compared to North Carolina with 988. Both states experienced a small decline in the number of overall traffic deaths.

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