A Raleigh man is headed to prison after a Capital Boulevard crash that killed a 76-year-old Wake Forest man and injured two others. On Thursday, 49-year-old Antonio Carter was sentenced to at least four years and seven months behind bars after pleading guilty to felony death by motor vehicle, felony serious injury by motor vehicle and driving while impaired, according to court records. The wreck happened in November 2023 and capped months of investigation and court maneuvering.
The crash took place on Nov. 19, 2023, in the 9300 block of Capital Boulevard. Authorities say Carter, driving a 2014 Mercedes, failed to slow down and slammed into a 2014 Ford Focus driven by Pamela O’Brien. Her husband, 76-year-old Ralph O’Brien, was in the front passenger seat and was killed. Both Pamela O’Brien and Carter suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Search warrants indicate Ralph O’Brien apparently was not wearing a seat belt when he was killed, according to The News & Observer.
What North Carolina Law Says About Fatal Crashes
Under North Carolina law, felony death by vehicle applies when impaired driving is the proximate cause of a death. The offense carries a prison classification that depends on aggravating factors and a defendant’s prior record. State law also separates felony serious-injury and aggravated-death offenses and tells judges to factor in past convictions when deciding sentences. Full details are outlined in the North Carolina General Statutes.
Plea Deal, Prison Time And What Comes Next
Prosecutors and court documents show Carter’s original misdemeanor death-by-vehicle charge was upgraded to a felony in December 2023. As part of his plea agreement, a citation for failure to reduce speed was dismissed, and judgment was suspended on the impaired-driving conviction. Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock imposed the prison term and ordered continuous alcohol monitoring and electronic monitoring after Carter was released on a $250,000 secured bond…