Holly Springs High School is bringing in extra emotional and mental support onto their campus this week, following the death of one of their students killed in a crash over the weekend.
WRAL News learned that the 14-year-old student was Max Dunham, who was riding a bike early Sunday morning when he was struck by a car on Avent Ferry Road near Holly Meadow Drive.
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Holly Springs police arrested a 16-year-old Ashton Henry Rahlfs Sunday and charged him with driving while impaired (DWI) in connection to this crash.
Officers were called to Avent Ferry Road near Holly Meadow Drive around 1:40 a.m. for reports of a crash involving two cars—a 2021 Honda Passport and 2008 Honda Civic—and a bicycle.
Rahlfs was driving the Passport.
Preliminary investigation showed that one of the cars hit Dunham, and then a head-on collision between the two cars happened right after.
The driver of the Civic is believed to be 19-year-old Brandon Russell. According to his mother, Kathy Russell, he was critically injured when Rahlf's Passport hit her son's Civic.
Brandon is in critical condition after having to be cut out of his car from the crash on Sunday morning. Kathy told WRAL News that both of Brandon’s arms are broken, his legs badly injured, he has a collapsed lung and broken rib.
One of the passengers in Rahlfs' car was also taken to the hospital.
Dunham was pronounced dead at the scene. Holly Springs police said he was a student at Holly Springs High School.
The school sent out a letter to families Sunday afternoon, informing them of Dunham's death on Sunday. They added that other students' reactions—especially if they might be extreme—to stress and loss are normal, especially if they personally knew the student.
Court documents show that Rahlfs currently faces several charges including DWI, driving after consuming alcohol under 21-years-old and a driver’s permit time limit violation for driving after 9 p.m. Documents also show officers administered a breath test, finding his BAC at 0.11.