Driver, 76, charged after man killed and 22 injured by car plowing into cyclists

Driver, 76, charged after man killed and 22 injured by car plowing into cyclists Donald Robert Morris-Jones faces a slew of charges after vehicle crashed into Capital Cycling Club riders in North Carolina before driving off - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A man has died and more than 20 people were injured after a car crashed into a group of cyclists in North Carolina. Driver Donald Robert Morris-Jones, 76, now faces 19 charges after members of the Capital Cycling Club were struck around 9.30 a.m. Saturday morning. The vehicle crossed the line in the center of the road line before hitting the cyclists during the incident, which unfolded 14 miles from Raleigh in Wake County, a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told NBC News. The driver then left the scene before crashing into a ditch about half a mile away, officials said. Holly Springs Fire Department Chief LeRoy Smith told CNN 22 people were found injured at the scene, with 15 hospitalized and seven taken to trauma centers. A cycling club spokesperson named the deceased as Patrick Turner, paying tribute to the 63 year-old in a statement. “We want to first extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Patrick Turner on his tragic loss,” the statement, obtained by ABC11, read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of sorrow and mourning. He was a strong, consistent, reliable and considerate rider. “We are all in shock by the senseless decision by the individual that caused the collision. This horrific event was no accident. “As far as we know, the individual made a decision to drive in a way that put others in grave and mortal peril.” Highway Patrol officials told NBC News “impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash.” Morris-Jones’ charges include eight counts of felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death and seven counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, according to Wake County District Court records obtained by USA Today. He also faces one count of felony death by vehicle, one count of driving while impaired, one count of driving left of center, and one count of reckless driving. Court documents seen by CNN state bail has been set at $1 million, with the 76-year-old being described as an “overwhelming danger to society.” Morris-Jones does not appear to have a criminal record, the records add. Paul Guthrie, Turner’s friend and a fellow cyclist, paid his own tribute in a post on Facebook. “I am so very sad for his wife Alice, family and all of us cycling pals who will miss him,” Guthrie wrote. “Every day is precious. Every use of a vehicle must be done safely and responsibly. Too much killing on our roads.” Shaun King, a representative from cycling nonprofit organization Bike Durham, says Turner will be commemorated in a candlelight vigil as part of the group’s World Day of Remembrance on November 15. “We'll be remembering the person we lost today on this ride, and it'll be a real challenge for us to heal together,” King told WRAL. The Independent has contacted the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for further comment.