Driver charged in Edgecombe deputy's death
A Pinetops man who authorities said was driving erratically was charged Wednesday in connection with the death of an Edgecombe County deputy who was trying to stop him, authorities said.
Posted — Updated
Deputy David L. Manning spotted a Nissan Altima speeding on N.C. Highway 111 north of Pinetops shortly after 6 p.m. on March 11 and made a U-turn to follow the car, authorities have said. His patrol car then collided with a Chevrolet Silverado, and he was killed in the crash.
The Altima ran off the highway into a ditch less than a quarter-mile from the collision, and the driver fled the area on foot, authorities said.
Richard Howard Walters, 33, Pinetops, was charged with driving while impaired.
Authorities discovered Walters had been drinking at Melanie's Place in Tarboro from noon to 6 p.m. the day of the crash, and Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement agents charged owner Melanie Whitfield Johnson and employee Cindy Mendenhall with trying to cover up how much Walters had to drink there.
"We obtained evidence that Walters purchased and consumed the equivalent of 16 malt beverages before driving away from Melanie’s Place," Eric Swain, special agent in charge of ALE’s Greenville district, said in a statement. "Even though Walters was in an intoxicated state, he was served malt beverages until the bar closed."
Johnson, 47, of Tarboro, was charged with obstruction of justice and allowing a violation to occur. Mendenhall, 34, of Tarboro, who also jump-started Walters' car so he could leave, was charged with obstruction of justice, sale to an intoxicated person and aiding and abetting DWI.
Walters and his girlfriend, Kristin Harrell, 35, of Pinetops, also were found with drugs when he was arrested, and both were charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
