Category Archives: North Carolina

Charlotte, NC – Police: Intoxicated 15-year-old driver kills 1 | abc11.com

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say one person is dead following a wreck in which an underage driver was at the wheel.

Police say Tristan Robert Nichols was killed in the wreck that also injured two other people. They say speed and alcohol contributed to the wreck, which occurred early Sunday morning.

The wreck occurred when the car in a utility pole, shearing the vehicle in two.

Police say the 15-year-old driver faces several charges, including felony death by vehicle.  He was taken to a juvenile detention facility.

The police report said the driver and the other two passengers suffered minor injuries.

Police didn’t give an age or hometown for Nichols.

via Charlotte wreck involving underage driver kills 1 | abc11.com.

Rocky Mount, NC – Mother, son killed; Man charged in fatal crash | WilsonTimes.com

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Driver charged in fatal crash

Stacey Lee Deans

State troopers filed criminal charges against a man accused of drunken driving in a head-on crash that killed a Wilson County woman and her 3-year-old son.

Stacey Lee Deans, 25, of 10827 Camp Charles Road outside Bailey, was charged late Tuesday with two counts of felony death by vehicle and one count of driving while impaired, according to 1st Sgt. M.S. Jones of the N.C. Highway Patrol.

Deans veered into oncoming traffic and crashed his 2001 GMC pickup truck into a 1991 Honda sedan on Church Street/U.S. 301 Business south of Rocky Mount Monday night, state troopers said.

The impact killed 21-year-old Lashunaqa Cooper and her son, 3-year-old Jiquel Copeland, both of 521 Bahma Circle in Elm City. Cooper had just finished her first day of work at Domino’s Pizza in Sharpsburg and picked up her son, and she was on her way to an uncle’s home in Rocky Mount, family members said.

read more here > Driver charged in fatal crash – WilsonTimes.com.

Waterbury, Conn. – Toddler dies after Sunday evening crash | WTNH.com

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A 16-month-old girl died as the result of injuries she sustained in a two-vehicle crash in Waterbury Sunday night.

The incident happened around 6 p.m., on Wolcott Street at its intersection with Long Hill Road.

Police said 31-year-old Anthony Lee Faulk, of North Carolina, was driving a 2006 Chevy Impala south on Wolcott St. when he rear-ended a 1997 Mazda Protege, which was stopped at a red light heading south on Wolcott St. at Long Hill Rd.

The Mazda was being driven by 18-year-old Takiah Alaina Rollinson, of Waterbury. Nineteen-year-old Daijanique Coleman, also of Waterbury, was riding in the front passenger seat and Rollinson’s child, 16-month-old Aaliyah Santiago was strapped in a car seat in the rear.

Faulk, Rollinson, and Coleman were all treated and released from St. Mary’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police said Santiago was initially taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with a head injury, but was later transferred by Lifestar to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. She died overnight as a result of her injuries.

read more here > PD: Toddler dies after Waterbury crash | WTNH.com Connecticut.

Charlotte, NC – Cab driver killed in wreck; other driver faces DWI charge | CharlotteObserver.com

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A cab driver was killed early Friday morning in a crash that police say was caused by a 23-year-old man who was driving under the influence.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Justin Tyler Miller, whose license already was suspended for a DWI arrest one month ago in Huntersville, was behind the wheel of a 2008 BMW that crashed into a taxi about 2 a.m. on East Woodlawn Road near Montford Drive, not far from Park Road Shopping Center.

The cab driver has been identified as Paul Miller.  He was 56.

Police say Miller was charged with felony death by vehicle, felony hit and run, DWI, and driving with a revoked license.

Alcohol and speed were factors in the crash, according to police Sgt. David Sloan of the CMPD Crash Investigation Unit.

read more here > Cab driver killed in Charlotte wreck; other driver faces DWI charge | CharlotteObserver.com.

Sampson County, NC – Driver charged with DWI, manslaughter in hit-and-run killing 7-year-old-girl | wwaytv3.com

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Authorities have released the name of the little girl killed by a log truck as she got off a school bus in Sampson County Tuesday afternoon.

Troopers say 7-year-old Alyiah McKenzie Morgan died on the way to the hospital in Clinton after a hit-and-run on Highway 421.

According to WTVD, neighbors told them that Alyiah’s mother was standing nearby when her daughter was hit.

Johnny Allen Spell, Jr., 37, of Roseboro, is charged with passing a stopped school bus, hit and run, involuntary manslaughter, and driving while impaired.

read more here > FIRST ON 3: Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run also faces DWI charge | WWAY NewsChannel 3 | Wilmington NC News.

Denton, NC – Driver Charged With DWI In Fatal Multi-Vehicle Wreck | digtriad.com

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North Carolina Highway Patrol reports NC 109 South has reopened after a multi-vehicle crash that killed one person in Davidson County.

The crash happened early Thursday morning around 5:06 a.m. Highway Patrol said Dray Carter was driving south on NC 109, when he crossed left of center and collided head-on with a car driven by Stephen Erwin.

Shortly after the head-on collision, Investigators said a third vehicle being driven by William Walters collided with Carter’s car.

Erwin was pronounced dead on the scene. Carter was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he is listed in critical condition.

Walters and his passenger, Brantly Wolfe were treated for minor injuries.

Walters was charged with Driving While Impaired (DWI) on the scene and taken into custody by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.

The stretch of NC 109 South has reopened, but investigators and emergency responders had it closed for hours after the accident.

via Driver Charged With DWI In Fatal Multi-Vehicle Wreck In Denton | digtriad.com.

Greensboro, NC – Man killed, one injured in wreck on I-40 in Greensboro | news-record.com

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A man was killed early Wednesday morning after he drove off the road on Interstate 40, overcorrected and hit a tractor-trailer, according to police.

Kristopher Desmond Blue was driving a Toyota Prius on I-40 east near Lee Street just after midnight when he ran off the road to the right, said Greensboro police Capt. R.G. Sigmon.

Blue, 27 of Raeford, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A female passenger was taken to Moses Cone Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Her name and age were not immediately available.

Sigmon said the driver of the International tractor trailer, Allen Coe, was not at fault in the crash, although he was charged with DWI, DWI in a commercial vehicle and other alcohol-related offenses.

Information on Coe’s age and address was not immediately available.

via News-Record.com : Update: Person killed, one injured in wreck on I-40 in Greensboro.

Columbus County, NC: Driver charged with murder, 4th DWI in Friday crash | wwaytv3.com

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We are learning more about a Leland man charged with murder after a car crash friday that killed a 61-year-old woman.

The district attorney says Pierre Walker should never have been behind the wheel in the first place based on his checkered past.

Investigators say Walker, 26, was involved in not one, but two traffic accidents Friday afternoon. After hitting a van in Brunswick County, they say Walker continued speeding west on US 74/76. Near Delco he allegedly crossed over the median at a high rate of speed and hit Martha Mintz head-on and killing her instantly.

Investigators say Walker was high at the time of the accident.

“DWI drivers are a clear and present dangers to folks on the highway,” District Attorney Jon David said. “We had a woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just coming home from work. She was literally in her work car at the time of the incident. It was 4 o’clock on a Friday afternoon. It could have been any of us.”

Walker is behind bars at the Columbus County Detention Center, where David says he should have been weeks ago.

“Because of the facts of the case and the defendant’s prior record, we can show that there is malice, which is something beyond death by motor vehicle, and in this particular circumstance we did the exceptional thing of choosing to charge him with murder, and we will be indicting him for murder and aggressively prosecuting him under the law,” David said.

Over the last 10 years Walker has faced 43 charges in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, including three DWIs, two of which he pleaded guilty to in February.

David says after his last conviction Walker should have faced a minimum 60-day sentence, but he says Judge Sandra Ray suspended his sentence to allow him to make a probation hearing in Columbus County set for today. Instead, he appeared in court on the murder charge.

“This is an individual that should not have been on the roadway,” David said. “He is somebody that needs to be prosecuted very harshly as we move forward.”

Walker faces charges of second degree murder and habitual DWI in Columbus County. David says he also plans to file charges against Walker in Brunswick County for the first of two crashes Friday.

Today a judge set Walker’s bond at $1 million.

via Driver charged with murder, 4th DWI in Friday crash | WWAY NewsChannel 3 | Wilmington NC News.

Wilmington, NC: Man faces DWI charges after fatal motorcycle crash | wect.com

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One man is behind bars facing DWI charges after a crash that left a motorcycle driver dead.

According to a Wilmington Police Department spokesperson, around 7:50 Sunday night Paul Crutchfield was traveling at a high rate of speed on his Harley Davidson motorcycle and collided with a GMC truck on the 3500 block of Carolina Beach Road.

Crutchfield died at the scene.

The driver of that GMC truck, Augusto Valera is being charged with DWI and driving while having a revoked license.

The police department’s traffic unit will reconstruct the crash to determine if there are any other factors that led to the crash by either driver.

via Man faces DWI charges after fatal motorcycle crash – WECT TV6-WECT.com:News, weather & sports Wilmington, NC.

New Bern, NC: 6-year-old dies in Friday crash; mother charged with DWI | newbernsj.com

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A 6-year-old girl was killed Friday in a head-on crash on Brices Creek Road, and her mother has been charged with driving while impaired.

The State Highway Patrol identified the victim as Allana Garris, a passenger who died Friday after the 4 p.m. crash while riding with her mother and brother.

Her mother, Amber Sandvig, 24, of Frontier Lane, New Bern, was charged with DWI, driving left of center and a child restraint violation involving the dead girl and another child in the car.

Sgt. C.D. Toler of the Highway Patrol said he and investigating Trooper J.A. Magana will meet with Craven County District Attorney Scott Thomas Monday morning to discuss the case, including any additional charges.

The sergeant said Sandvig remained hospitalized at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, where she was airlifted by rescue helicopter Pedro after the crash.

The driver of the second car in the crash, Julie Payne, also was taken to the Greenville hospital. The Highway Patrol did not have her address or her condition.

Toler said a second child in the Sandvig car, 2-year-old Allan Garris, was taken to CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern. His injuries were not known at press time.

Toler said the crash happened when Sandvig was traveling south on Brices Creek Road in a gold Mazda and crossed the center line, colliding with a northbound black Cadillac Escalade driven by Payne.

He said the crash happened near Marion Lane.

The dead child would have been 7 years old on Aug. 15.

Toler said both children in the Sandvig car were improperly restrained.

via Child dies in Friday crash; mother charged with DWI – Cops, Courts And Calamity – Sun Journal.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg: 1 dead in wreck; driver faces DWI charges | CharlotteObserver.com

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A 66-year-old man was killed Wednesday evening when his truck was struck by a vehicle driven by a man who was DWI, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

The suspect in the case had been arrested by police 18 hours earlier on a drug charge, and police say he was driving Wednesday evening with a revoked license.

Three people were injured in the four-vehicle wreck shortly after 8 p.m. on Brookshire Boulevard at Interstate 85. The collision forced police to close Brookshire Boulevard for several hours.

Killed in the collision was Leslie John Dahm

Police say Steven Ray Johnson was driving the vehicle that caused the wreck. Johnson faces several charges when he is released from the hospital, according to investigators.

Johnson, 36, of Charlotte, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban inbound on Brookshire Boulevard, and police say he was traveling at a high rate of speed when he slammed into the rear of a 1999 GMC Jimmy, driven by Dahm. The collision forced both vehicles across the median and into the outbound side of Brookshire Boulevard.

Police say the impact sent Dahm’s truck sliding about 400 feet, until it slammed into a metal overhead sign. Dahm died at the scene.

Meanwhile, according to investigators, Johnson’s vehicle first smashed head-on into a 2006 Ford Fusion driven by 19-year-old Bianca Gibson — then struck a 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by 39-year-old Blossom Green.

Gibson was injured and taken by Medic to Carolinas Medical Center. She is expected to survive. Green was treated by Medic at the scene but did not need hospitalization.

Johnson was taken to Presbyterian Hospital and also is expected to survive.

He was charged with DWI, and police say warrants have been obtained against Johnson for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, and driving while a license is revoked.

Mecklenburg County Jail records show Johnson had been arrested about 2 a.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. Court records show Johnson was charged with reckless driving in 2007. The case was settled in February 2008 with a prayer for judgement.

Police say the crash remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 704-336-8862.

via 1 dead in Brookshire wreck; driver faces charges | CharlotteObserver.com.

Welcome, NC: One teen dead; two others seriously injured after head-on with suspected drunk driver | digtriad.com

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Three people are in the hospital with injuries from a head-on collision Sunday evening in Davidson County. One of those injured was the driver, who is facing DWI charges.

According to Trooper Varney with highway patrol, a driver was traveling along Bethesda Welcome Road near Hinkle road when another car pulled in front of them. The two cars collided head-on, killing a 14-year-old girl.

Trooper Varney said 22-year-old Phillip Eisenman was turning onto Bethesda Welcome from Hinkle Rd. when  he pulled out in front of the car containing the teenager and two other people.

The 14-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital. The other two people were taken Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center with serious injuries. Eisenman is also at Baptist with serious injuries.

The teenager has been identified as Katlin Dawn Combs.

Trooper NS. Varney said no one in either car was wearing a seatbelt.

Eisenman was charged with Driving While Impaired and is facing other traffic violations, the trooper said.

via Davidson County Teenager Katlin Combs Killed In Head-On Crash By DWI Driver | digtriad.com.

Charlotte, NC: Overnight DUI crash leaves one dead | Charlotte News

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Many accidents were caused by the snow but police say drinking and driving contributed to one of the more serious incidents.

Reports say a Nissan pickup truck lost control and struck a tree on Tyvola Road around 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

Four passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, one victim was pronounced dead at the seen by medics and the other occupants were taken to the hospital, suffering minor injuries.

Isais Lucero and Hilda Mora Jijon, were two of the passengers.

The name of the deceased victim has not yet been released but authorities say Bairon Josue Sandoval, 23, was arrested and charged with DWI, Felony Death by Vehicle, Felony Serious Injury, and No Operators License.

Anyone with information about this crash can contact the Major Crash Investigation Unit at 704-432-2169 or Crime Stoppers at 704-344-1600.

via DWI Contributing To One Traffic Fatality | Charlotte News | Crime.

Durham, NC: One killed in early morning DWI wreck on I-40 | The Herald-Sun

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A two-vehicle wreck on I-40 near N.C. 54 left one person dead early Sunday morning, and police have charged the other driver with driving while impaired.

The accident occurred about 3:40 a.m., and the Durham Police Department closed that section of the interstate until about 9:30 a.m. while they investigated the wreck. Traffic was detoured off the highway at the N.C. 54 interchange.

After they opened the highway, investigators remained on the scene taking measurements as a tow truck backed up to take a heavily damaged black four-door car from the scene. The accident occurred when an eastbound Honda Civic driven by Raul Herrera, 31, of High Point swerved into the back of an eastbound Nissan Maxima, according to Durham Police Department investigators. The impact caused both vehicles to go off the road and overturn.

The driver of the Maxima, Brian Edward Kiley, 28, of Goodlettsville, TN, died at the scene of the accident.

Herrera, the driver of the Honda, was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening. Investigators charged him with driving while impaired.

There were no passengers in either vehicle, and both vehicles were total losses, according to police.

via One killed in early morning DWI wreck on I-40 | The Herald-Sun.

Raleigh, NC: Repeat DUI suspect charged in crash killing passenger | newsobserver.com

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Lydia Marie Mills

The driver in a fatal single-vehicle crash early Wednesday has been charged with driving while impaired.

A passenger in the Pontiac SUV, Amanda Blake Massengill, of Bailey, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to First Sgt. Jeff Gordon of the State Highway Patrol.

Lydia Marie Mills, 29, of 4104 Labrador Drive, is charged with aggravated felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, driving while license revoked and failure to maintain lane control, Gordon said.

Hours before the wreck, Mills also was cited by a Wake County sheriff’s deputy for assault, according to the arrest warrant.

The single-vehicle crash occurred around 2:30 a.m., on Labrador Drive, not far from Mills’s home near the intersection of Bluewing Road in the Mallard Crossing subdivision, troopers reported.

Gordon said Mills was driving the SUV west on Labrador Drive when it ran off the right side of the road, struck a tree and came to rest in a ditch.

Emergency workers took Mills to a hospital where medical officials determined that she was impaired, Gordon said. She was treated for her injuries, then booked at the Wake County jail where her bail is set at $250,000, court records show.

Mills was previously convicted of DWI on June 13, 2011, court records show.

via Raleigh driver in fatal crash early Wednesday charged with DWI – Crime/Safety – NewsObserver.com.