Carla Romero was taken to jail overnight after being released from the hospital. She faced a magistrate Monday morning -- charged with involuntary manslaughter and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Authorities say they received a call just after 3 p.m. about a crash on Holly Springs Road near the YMCA. According to the Highway Patrol, Romero was driving a Cadillac SRX when she lost control and slammed head-on into a vehicle carrying Donald Reynard and three passengers.
Reynard, 73, of Missouri was killed. He was in town for the christening of one of his grandchildren.
His wife, 72-year-old Ann Reynard, is in critical condition. His 35-year-old daughter-in-law Kenia Reynard, of Fuquay-Varina, along with a 16-year-old in the car also was injured.
Two teens were passengers in Romero's vehicle and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
A man at the scene told ABC11 Eyewitness News his nieces were in the SUV and had just left church, headed to eat when they crashed.
According to the Highway Patrol, the SUV was traveling 80 mph in a 45 mph zone when Romero lost control. The SUV hit a dip in the road and went airborne. The impact left an engine from one of the vehicles a hundred feet from the scene of the crash.
Jena Baker, who lives near the crash site, says people in the area have anticipated something like this happening.
"I have seen people hit that dip going fast in small cars and they just literally go airborne, and it is just frightening," Baker explained.
Romero's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday afternoon. She's being held on a $1 million bond.
Investigators have not said if alcohol was a factor in the crash.
A separate investigation into Romero's immigration status also is underway.
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