A driver suspected of being impaired plowed into a group of cyclists in Wake County, North Carolina, on Saturday morning, killing one person and injuring at least a dozen, authorities said.
The driver, 76-year-old Donald Robert Morris-Jones of Apex, North Carolina, was arrested on multiple charges, including felony death by vehicle and driving while impaired, according to CBS News US. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred a little after 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. The group of cyclists numbered more than 40, the Highway Patrol said, according to CBS News US.
The Highway Patrol said the driver was reportedly traveling on Optimist Farm Road when he crossed the center line and struck the cyclists, according to NBC News. CBS News US reports that the driver did not stop and reportedly continued about a half-mile before crashing into a ditch.
The Highway Patrol identified the person killed as 63-year-old Patrick Allen Turner of Cary, North Carolina, according to NBC News.
The injury count is disputed. According to CBS News US, Holly Springs Fire Chief LeRoy Smith said seven people were taken to hospital with major injuries and 15 with minor injuries. The state Highway Patrol put the toll at about a dozen, while NBC News reports at least 12 others were injured, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. No updated official figure is given in the sources.
NBC News reports that Morris-Jones was being held in the Wake County Detention Center on $1 million bail. CBS News does not confirm the bail amount or the detention location, so these details rest on a single outlet.
According to the Highway Patrol, "Impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash." The sources do not include test results or a confirmed cause. People at the scene told Smith that the cyclists were part of a group that regularly gathers for weekend bike rides. Wake County is about 14 miles southwest of Raleigh.
The sources do not include a response or statement from the driver or his lawyer. They also do not report the condition of the injured or any reaction from the victim’s family.
The sources do not say when Morris-Jones will appear in court or whether more charges are planned. He is reportedly held on $1 million bail, and the case is expected to move through the courts from there.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.