Driver also accused of DWI; he was going to holiday meal
Sunday, November 26, 2006
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Maiden man faces a murder charge after the car he was driving Thursday afternoon crashed into a steel building, killing one woman and injuring four others.
Christopher Allen Smith, 23, faces four charges, including second-degree murder, driving while impaired, driving while license revoked and failing to appropriately restrain a child younger than 5, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Marc Walker.
Smith was driving four of his cousins to their grandmother's home in Maiden for a Thanksgiving dinner when the rental car swerved off Henry Dellinger Road in Lincoln County, Walker said. The car rolled over and slammed into a metal building.
The car was traveling 75 to 80 mph when it swerved off the road about 2:45 p.m., and the driver's blood alcohol was "well-above" the 0.08 legal limit, Walker said.
Haley Christenbury, 19, of Charlotte was not wearing a seat belt and died after being thrown from the rear passenger seat, Walker said.
The other three passengers, a 23-year-old man, a 23-year-old woman and her 4-year old daughter, were treated for minor injuries. Smith broke his foot, Walker said.
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