I-Team: Man charged in Raleigh double fatal hit-and-run crash had been deported
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Raleigh police arrested a man Sunday who they say is the driver who ran a red light, slammed into another car killing two people, and then sped off.
Mateo Guzman, 32, was being held on a $510,000 bond at the Wake County Detention Center. A judge increased the bond Monday after learning Guzman was deported after a 2011 DWI conviction and returned to the U.S.
"They found the car at his house in the process of being put on trailer trying to hide the evidence so we've got some concerns about this defendant," said prosecutor Jeff Cruden.
Guzman was arrested early Sunday based on information that came from an eyewitness.
"Someone's got to stop it, someone's got to do something," said Angel Turner, who happened to drive up to the scene of the accident. That was just after midnight Saturday morning at the intersection of New Bern Avenue and Trawick Road.
Turner said she did not see the initial impact, but that she actually heard the crash over her car radio and she could not believe what she saw next.
"I saw him pretty much try to bum rush the car over so he could leave the scene," said Turner. "I could see he was actually damaging his car more as he was pushing the car out of the way, so I was taking note of that so I could give police a good description."
Turner said while the truck was pushing the other car, she said the driver of the car jumped out.
"And he was screaming, just so upset, full of grief, so I just took off," Turner said.
She followed the truck onto I-40.
"Once we went on the highway heading west, toward Capital and Brentwood, he turned his lights off," said Turner.
Fearing for her own safety at that point, she returned to the scene of the accident to tell police everything she had seen.
She would later learn the girlfriend of that emotional driver -- 18-year-old Naomi Mercury -- was killed in the accident. Also killed was 24-year-old Brittany Williams. Both were students at Wake Tech. Mercury studied psychology, and Williams took science classes. Williams was also about to become engaged. Her boyfriend was also in the car and survived.
Guzman is charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, driving while license suspended, failing to stop at a red light, and two counts of felony hit-and-run.
Turner, who has a daughter herself, said she hopes the quick arrest will give the families some way to cope with the tragic loss.
"I can't even imagine you saying goodbye to your daughter to go have fun with friends and then the next thing you know you're getting a phone call," said Turner. "These peoples' lives are going to be changed forever."
