Knightdale High student charged in fatal wreck

State troopers said that Tyler Daniel, 17, of Rolesville, was driving a Ford Taurus on Jonesville Road on his way to school at about 7:30 a.m. Daniel stopped briefly at the intersection with Mitchell Mill Road, but then pulled out into the path of an eastbound Chevrolet Blazer, troopers said.

The SUV flipped after the crash, and the driver, Donald Johnson, 57, died at the scene.

Daniel and an unidentified passenger, who is also a Knightdale High student, were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at WakeMed North.

"He did come to a complete stop, (but) he thought that he could make it across the road and collided with the vehicle," Trooper Ceon Cayco said after interviewing Daniel in the hospital. "He feels really bad about what happened, and he's just real somber right now."

Daniel was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way. He had no previous driving infractions on his record, Cayco said.

Cayco said the wreck should serve as a reminder to other young drivers not to become distracted on the way to school.

"Just take the time. Take it slow and easy and make sure everything is clear before you enter these intersections," he said.

Troopers said that Johnson was wearing a seat belt. He is survived by his wife and two adult daughters.

Raleigh officials are considering widening a section of Mitchell Mill Road just west of the site of the wreck because of traffic and safety concerns.

The widening would run from Louisburg Road to Forestville Road, and a public hearing was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church, on Forestville Road.