Local News

UNC Hit-And-Run Suspect's Court Appearance Continued

The man accused of driving a sport utility vehicle into a crowd of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, injuring nine people, is expected to appear in court Tuesday.

Posted Updated

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — The court date for a man accused of driving a sport utility vehicle into a crowd of students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was continued Tuesday untill Jan. 2.

Mohammed Taheri-Azar had been expected to enter a plea in connection with the March 3 incident, in which nine people were injured.

It was not clear why the court date had been continued, because the decision was made behind closed-doors.

In March, Taheri-Azar confessed to authorities that he tried to injure people at the Pit, a student-gathering place on campus, to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world.

During one prior court appearance, Taheri-Azar tried to fire his court-appointed lawyer, but three months later, he changed his mind.

Taheri-Azar's lawyer said his client will plead not guilty to nine counts of attempted murder and nine other felonies. If convicted, Taheri-Azar would face 100 years in prison.

The judge could also set a trial date Tuesday. Court officials said the trial will likely begin next spring or summer.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.