Just north of Dunn, in the town of Garney, a community still mourns the loss of an 18-year-old teen who lost his life a little over a week ago in a deadly roll-over accident that also injured two other teens. It’s a tragedy no one in the town will soon forget.
Police say that the three teens set out during the early morning hours of Feb. 16 after consuming alcohol given to them by a 21-year-old Clayton man. Intoxicated, the 17-year-old driver began excessively speeding down Josephine Road when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle. The large pickup truck the teens were riding in flipped, rolling over several times before coming to rest on the hood of the cab.
The 18-year-old Garner teen, who was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the drunk-driving accident, was thrown from the vehicle. The driver and his other passenger, a 16-year-old Clayton teen, on the other hand remained in the truck as it tumbled out of control.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, the 18-year-old teen was pronounced dead while the other two teens were extricated from the vehicle and taken to WakeMed in Raleigh. After being treated for their injuries, the two were released from the hospital.
Within days following the crash, police have charged the two teens with various drunk-driving offenses. The driver faces charges of driving while impaired, reckless driving and underage drinking. The surviving passenger is also facing charges of underage drinking along with 11 counts of aiding and abetting underage intoxicated persons. The 21-year-old man thought to be responsible for supplying the teens with alcohol is also being charged in the case. There is a very likely possibility that he could also face charges related to the teen’s death as well as a civil suit from the boy’s family in the future.
Sources:
Fox 8 WGHP News, “Troopers: Alcohol, speed factors in wreck that killed Garner teen,” Feb. 18, 2013
Fox 8 WGHP News, “12 charged in connection with crash that killed NC teen,” Feb. 28, 2013