Local News

Woman charged after deadly double crash in Franklin County

Jennifer Baker Pearce was arrested on Monday in Wake County. Sheriff Kevin White said she had been on the run ever since the November 2023 crash.

Posted 2024-03-20T13:35:33+00:00 - Updated 2024-03-20T13:35:33+00:00

WRAL staff

A woman has been charged after a deadly double crash in Franklin County.

Jennifer Baker Pearce was arrested on Monday in Wake County.

She has been charged with the following crimes:

Two counts of felony serious injury by vehicle
Two counts of felony death by vehicle
DUI

The deadly crash happened on Nov. 29, 2023. Emily Ball Hodges died at the scene. Her sister, Pamela Ball Hayes, died on Dec. 8, 2023. Bobby Stallings was seriously injured and is still recovering.

Sheriff Kevin White said Pearce had been on the run ever since the November 2023 crash.

"Driving drunk when it results in the death of another human is murder and must be treated as such. Plain and simple," White said on Facebook. "Jennifer Baker Pearce will be tried to the fullest extent that the law allows. It will not bring back the lives of those she killed, but it will hopefully protect others from facing the same tragic fate."