HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Police believe speeding and alcohol consumption led to a deadly three-car crash in Huntersville Tuesday night. Now, a local family is left grieving their loved one.
Huntersville officers were called to Statesville Road at Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road around 8 p.m. Tuesday. They found one of the drivers, a 20-year-old woman, had died. Another was taken to a Charlotte hospital with serious injuries.
A third driver, who the Huntersville Police Department identified as 31-year-old Michael Bradley Benjamin, ran from the crash scene. A K-9 found him shortly afterward and police arrested him.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, at this point, police believe speeding and alcohol led to it.
Family told Channel 9 the victim in the crash was Karina Ramirez. They said she was going to meet her sister in Cornelius when the crash happened.
Benjamin was charged with felony death by vehicle, felony hit and run involving serious injury and/or death, driving while impaired, and resisting, delaying and obstructing a police officer.
Statesville Road was closed for “an extended period of time for the investigation,” the Huntersville Fire Department stated on X, formerly Twitter.
*SERIOUS CRASH* Stations 1, 3, 4 working a serious crash. Statesville Road at Mt Holly-Huntersville Road. Expect Statesville Road to remain closed for an extended period of time for investigation. #CLTtraffic #Crash pic.twitter.com/LI5RorEPEj
— Huntersville Fire (@Huntersville_FD) July 17, 2024
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
No additional details have been made available.
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