Facing up to 98 years and 10 months in prison, 76-year-old Donald Robert Morris-Jones appeared via video link in Wake County court on Monday following a fatal hit-and-run crash on Optimist Farm Road in Holly Springs, North Carolina.
The Saturday morning collision claimed the life of 63-year-old Patrick Allen Turner of Cary and injured over a dozen other riders from the Capital Cycling Club. The charges against Morris-Jones include driving while impaired, felony death by vehicle, eight counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, eight counts of felony hit-and-run causing serious injury or death, driving left of center, and reckless driving with wanton disregard.
According to The News & Observer, Capital Cycling Club President Tim Charlino said that six injured riders remain hospitalized, with one described as being in a serious condition.
Authorities took Morris-Jones into custody once his Black Infiniti was located half a mile away from where the crash occurred, having crashed into a road sign and ended up in a ditch. Police officers reportedly noticed a smell of alcohol and observed signs of impairment.
Charlino described the terrifying moments leading up to the impact during a video interview. “I was towards the front of the pack. I was one behind the guy who was in front of me,” he said.
“I saw the car coming, I saw him starting to swerve over into our lane. When I realized that he wasn’t going to come back, that he was coming straight at us, I managed to move slightly to my right to avoid him.”
“He came right past my left side so I was one of the lucky few who escaped,” Charlino told Velo, adding that he heard the loud collision before turning back to help the injured. Morris-Jones is currently being held on a bond of $1 million.
The judge wrote that Morris-Jones is “an overwhelming danger to society, despite the lack of apparent criminal history,” as reported by Spectrum News. Charlino appealed for a broader shift in motorist attitudes toward riders sharing public roadways.
“We would ask that people understand that when you see a group of cyclists, these are human beings,” he said. “They have families and people that care about them and people that love them and want to get home as well.”
| Charge Category | Count / Detail |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 1 (Patrick Allen Turner, 63) |
| Total Injured Riders | At least 20 |
| Bond Amount | $1 million |
