Wake County, North Carolina: Cyclist Killed and 22 Injured as Driver Crosses Into Group Ride

A group ride on a wooded two-lane road southwest of Raleigh turned into a mass casualty scene on Saturday morning when an oncoming car crossed the center line and hit the cyclists head on, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

The crash happened shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Optimist Farm Road near Talicud Trail in Wake County, about 14 miles southwest of Raleigh and east of Holly Springs. About 30 riders with the Capital Cycling Club were on their regular Saturday ride when a black Infiniti crossed into their lane, according to the Highway Patrol and WRAL. The car kept going after the impact, ran off the left side of the road about half a mile later and stopped in a ditch. WRAL reported that the driver stumbled out of the car.

The rider who died

Patrick Allen Turner, a 63-year-old cyclist from Cary, died in the crash, the Highway Patrol announced. First responders found 22 other riders injured, according to the patrol count reported by CNN. At the scene, Holly Springs Fire Chief LeRoy Smith counted seven riders with serious trauma injuries and about 13 with minor injuries in the first tally, and riders were taken to area hospitals, ABC11 reported. The road later reopened.

One rider told WRAL that the club rides this route together often. The Capital Cycling Club, based in the Apex area, is one of the oldest cycling clubs in North Carolina and holds regular group rides, according to its website.

The charges against the driver

Troopers took the driver, Donald Robert Morris-Jones, 76, of Apex, into custody at the scene. He is charged with driving while impaired, one count of felony death by vehicle, seven counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, eight counts of felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death, reckless driving and driving left of center, the Highway Patrol said. The counts add up to 19 charges.

Morris-Jones is being held at the Wake County Detention Center on a $1 million secured bond. Court records cited by CNN and WRAL say he has no criminal record, and the same records describe him as an overwhelming danger to society. He is set to appear in court on Monday afternoon, November 9. He is charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent.

What troopers are still working out

The Highway Patrol said impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash. Troopers have not said whether alcohol, drugs or medication was involved, and the final crash report is still to come. The Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.