HICKORY, N.C. — Neighbors in Hickory are mourning the loss of a well-known physician who was killed in a crash involving a suspected DWI driver over the weekend.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed to Channel 9′s Dave Faherty that Roger B. Lim of Hickory was killed in a crash Saturday evening.
Authorities said 31-year-old Randy Deion Collins of Franklin was arrested and charged in connection with the crash.
According to the highway patrol, it started when a trooper tried to pull over a pickup truck for speeding on Highway 321 in Caldwell County.
The highway patrol said Collins was driving the truck and ran away from the trooper, then went to Hibriton Drive SW and ran through a red light at Highway 321. That’s when Collins’ truck smashed into Lim’s SUV as Lim was going south on Highway 321.
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Lim died at the scene, troopers said.
The highway patrol says Collins was suspected to be impaired during the chase and crash.
Collins was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, driving while license revoked, driving while impaired, felony flee to elude arrest, speeding at 81 mph in a 55 mph zone, reckless driving, and a red light violation. He’s being held in the Caldwell County jail with no bond as of Monday.
Faherty shared Collins’ mugshot on Facebook, and numerous people expressed their condolences for Lim’s family. Lim was based out of the emergency department in Lenoir, and many people said he treated them or their family members during his decades of medical practice.
>>Watch Channel 9 at noon and 5 p.m. Monday for updates on this story.
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