Teen driver facing murder charge in death of NC 14-year-old killed on bike; held without bond
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (WTVD) -- A teenager is facing murder charges weeks after he allegedly drove into a 14-year-old riding his bike.
Court records show 16-year-old Ashton Rahlfs is facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of Max Dunham.
Rahlfs was charged with Driving While Impaired on the morning of the October crash. On Wednesday, he was charged with felony death by vehicle and a felony serious injury by vehicle.
The charges come three weeks after Rahlfs allegedly hit and killed Max around 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 26 on Avent Ferry Road near Holly Meadow Drive before he was involved in a head-on collision with a different car. In that crash, the driver, Brandon Russell, was severely injured and has been in the hospital since the collision.
Max was a student at Holly Springs High School.
Rahlfs appeared in person for Thursday's appearance and answered the judge's questions during a brief hearing. He remains held without bond and is due back in court in December.
"Whenever it's minors involved, it is a preventable, tragic case that happened with the worst possible outcomes for everybody involved," said Emily Ferraro, the State Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
According to the CDC, underage drinking is responsible for more than 3,500 deaths per year among people younger than 21, a figure which includes just over 1,000 deaths involving motor vehicle accidents.
"The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you are to have alcohol related crashes. Almost a third of teens that are killed in a fatal crash involve underage drinking," said Ferraro.
She pointed to their Power of Youth and Power of Parents Programs as efforts to enhance road safety.
Friday night, there will be a benefit concert to support Brandon as he prepares to return home from the hospital. Mojo Foot and Skintight are performing at Mac's Tavern in Cary from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in what's being billed as the "Benefit for Brandon." Brandon's father, Rich, is a musician who leads the Rich Russell Band.
How the case unfolded
"Officers were immediately confronted with a crash site that morning that extended more than 210 feet and carefully documented the crucial pieces of evidence, including the extensive damage to the bicycle and motor vehicles," said Holly Springs Police Chief Paul Liquorie.
Police said that the investigation showed that Rahlfs had been driving carelessly and recklessly "for a significant time before the crash" and that he was going more than twice the 35 mph speed limit. Officers also discovered that there were alcoholic beverages in his car before the crash.
Rahlfs already had been charged in this case with driving in violation of his driver's permit restrictions, driving after consuming alcohol younger than 21 years old, and driving while impaired on the morning of the crash. His roadside breath test indicated he had nearly twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system, and his intoximeter results taken later at the Law Enforcement Center showed a blood alcohol content of .11, police said.
After striking Max, police said Rahlfs' car crossed the center line and crashed into another vehicle. That driver, 19-year-old Brandon Russel, was pinned in his car and seriously injured. Russel has spent weeks in the hospital recovering.
Russell's family said he is about ready to come home. They have built a wheelchair ramp for him at the family's home. On social media, they shared details about a "Benefit for Brandon" on Friday at Mac's Tavern in Cary.
"I would like to thank the public, and in particular the Dunham and Russel families, for their patience as we ensured that this case was thoroughly and accurately investigated," Liquorie said.
"I also would like to recognize the exhaustive efforts of the officers and investigators, and other first responders, who performed extraordinarily throughout this complex investigation."
Liquorie confirmed Wednesday night that Rahlfs was arrested late Wednesday afternoon.
He said he hopes teens and parents learn from this situation.
"My hope is that sentencing and this indictment are lessons for the youth in our town and elsewhere, that the choices they make can have dire consequences that cannot simply be fixed or taken back and will impact themselves and others for the rest of their lives," Liquorie said.
Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App
