Myers Park HS senior charged in crash that killed teen

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An athletic Myers Park High School senior was in the Mecklenburg County jail Monday night, charged in a weekend crash that killed a teen.

Abigail McGaha plays lacrosse according to online records and her Facebook profile. Peers leaving school Monday afternoon were shocked to hear the 17-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving.

“I think that’s pretty surprising,” said Hampton McGrath, a sophomore at the school.

“I don’t necessarily think she should be charged if it was an accident while she was speeding but she’s got to go (to jail) because she killed somebody else. It was her fault for speeding,” Myers Park senior Tira Meggett said.

McGaha could face prison time if she's convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Her attorney said his client is devastated by what happened.

Police have not said exactly how fast the high school senior was going when she lost control of her car on Colony Road near Sharon View Road early Sunday morning.

Investigators placed marks in the road to show where McGaha ran off the roadway, overcorrected and crossed over opposite lanes of traffic before hitting a tree.

Alexander Mundt, 16, was in the backseat and was killed in the crash, police said.

McGaha and another passenger survived.

“That would be hard to deal with if I was the driver...as a family member (of the victim), I don’t know how I’d forgive the driver,” McGrath said.

Others at school said they’re taking away a valuable lesson from the tragedy.

“When I am behind the wheel, I will be more careful and make sure I keep other people around me safe,” junior Monica Alvarez said.

The crash site is marked by a memorial and people who live nearby said very few people actually obey the speed limit in the area.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation told Channel 9 there have been 43 crashes at the intersection since 2008. In about half of those crashes somebody was injured.

Neighbors want CDOT to see if they can make the road safer.

Mundt was from Santa Fe, New Mexico and played baseball at his high school. Now in the spot where he died are flowers, a balloon and police tape tied into bows.

MaGaha’s bond was set at $125,000 and she will appear in court Tuesday.

WSOC