The family of a man killed in a drunk driving accident are asking the City of Raleigh to make New Bern Avenue safer.
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“Demetrius was just sitting there. Sitting on the wall,” Smith’s family member, Jennifer Rhodes, said.
Four other people suffered injuries in the crash.
WRAL News was speaking to friends and family of Smith when officers showed up investigating a dead body found inside the home.
“Something needs to change, and we’re not giving up,” Rhodes said.
His family members said tragedies like this play out far too often on the stretch of Poole Road.
According to data from the Raleigh Police Department, officers responded to the block of New Bern Avenue multiple times for drug violations, a stolen vehicle and at least one fatal shooting.
Smith’s family and friends hope his loss will inspire the city and community to take action to make that stretch of New Bern Avenue and Poole Road safer.
“We just want this to be as safe as possible. We don’t want nothing else to happen like this,” Smith's cousin, Janaisia Upchurch, said.
Jelson Molina Carbajal, 28, is charged with driving while impaired, felony death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle (2 counts), reckless driving to endanger and no operator's license.
Smith’s family has planned a memorial for June 8 and a balloon release shortly after.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.