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Broughton High Student Critically Injured, Two...

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RALEIGH — A 15-year-old Broughton High School studentwho was hit Wednesday morning by a driver charged with drunken-driving islistedin critical condition with serious head and internal injuries.

Raleigh police said a car driven by William Bradford Rice III struckstudent FrankNicholson,his sister, Laura Beth Nicholson,and oneotherstudent, Blake Schlukbier, as the three walked to school just before 8a.m. They were on thesidewalk near the intersection of Park Drive and Peace Street when anout-of-control vehicle jumped the curb and plowed into them.

Laura Beth was treated at Wake Medical Center and released. Schlukbierwas brushed by the car and knocked to the ground, but he was treated atthe scene.

Melissa Vanderveer (pictured below, right), a Broughton student whowitnessed the accident,said it was like she saw the accident in slow-motion.

Rice was charged Wednesday with driving while intoxicated, possessing afictitious vehicle registration and not having liability insurance. Rice isbeing held in the Wake County jail under $25,000 secured bond.

Investigators said Rice refused to take a breath test. Blood tests wereconductedand police are waiting for results. They say eyewitness testimony, such asthat from Vanderveer, in addition to other evidence led to the DWIcharge.

Police say there was no other apparent reasonfor Rice's car to leave the road.

According to Rice's driving record, obtained from the North CarolinaDivision of Motor Vehicles, he has been charged four times with DWI. He was convicted once of DWI, in 1989, in Lenoir County. One DWI charge wasdismissed,and two others resulted in reckless driving convictions.

Judy Wallace, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says it is a shamepeople can't feel their children are safe from drunk drivers early in themorning.

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