Cary man charged in I-40 crash near Statesville that killed 3 highway workers

A preliminary investigation showed Logan Lee Casey, 27, was westbound on I-40 just east of Statesville shortly before 3:30 a.m. when his 2019 Freightliner box truck slammed into a stationary construction vehicle that was equipped with a crash cushion and a board with a lighted directional arrow indicating a lane closure, authorities said.

The collision shoved the construction vehicle into three members of a road repair crew, killing them.

The three were identified as Noah Logan Hamilton, 22, of Bonaire, Ga., Austin Melton, 21, of Jesup, Ga., and Dustin Gelinas, 20, also of Jesup. All three were working for DBI Services, which the state Department of Transportation hired to repair a guardrail.

Casey, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, was charged with three counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle.

Investigators said the construction vehicle's flashing lights and lighted arrow were working at the time of the crash.

The truck was owned by Triangle Central Warehouse, a Durham shipping company. According to federal safety records, the company has had two drivers cited with driving a commercial motor vehicle while using a phone and one cited with driving a truck without a commercial license. Other drivers were pulled off the road by law enforcement for driving too many hours during a specified period or not having a log of their driving available for inspection, records show.

Casey himself was charged last April with speeding and reckless driving. He was convicted of improper equipment, and the reckless driving charge was dismissed, according to court records.

Westbound I-40 was closed for almost six hours after the crash.