STALLINGS, N.C. — An 18-year-old driver faces second-degree murder and felony serious injury charges following a fatal three-vehicle collision in Stallings. Police charged Mariaha N. Ladd after an extensive investigation into the crash that killed passenger Shannon Oxendine Bennett.
The collision occurred around 8:58 p.m. on July 19 in the 6100 block of Stevens Mill Road. According to the Stallings Police Department, Ladd was traveling northbound when she attempted to pass another vehicle in a designated no-passing zone, sideswiping an oncoming vehicle before striking a second vehicle head-on. Investigators determined speed, illegal passing and impairment were contributing factors in the crash.
A total of six people were involved in the collision, with four transported to local hospitals for medical treatment. Bennett, a passenger in the vehicle struck head-on, died from her injuries on July 22. She was a mother of four.
Before charges were announced, Channel 9 spoke with Bennett’s family three weeks after the crash, as they expressed frustration while waiting for answers from investigators. Bennett’s mother spoke about her daughter’s life and the family’s growing anxiety over the investigation.
“She loved people, she loved her kids tremendously, she loved her family tremendously,” Bennett’s mother said. “We’re concerned, very concerned why nothing has been done yet.”
The Stallings Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Union County District Attorney’s Office, Monroe Police Department and Union County Sheriff’s Office.
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