Off-campus party for NC Central homecoming shut down for 'safety reasons'
PERSON COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Hundreds and potentially thousands of people were stranded Wednesday night in Person County after authorities shut down a massive off-campus party for North Carolina Central University homecoming.
Chopper 11 captured footage of the event as it began Wednesday afternoon, showing large crowds gathered in an empty field.
The Person County Sheriff's Office said the event was an off-campus party for people celebrating NCCU's homecoming. The university told ABC11 that the party was neither sponsored nor sanctioned by NCCU.
Although the event had legal approval, the sheriff's office was unprepared for its scale and ultimately shut it down because of safety concerns. Many attendees left their vehicles on the roadside, while others walked along dark roads.
Dozens of cars were towed, and neighbors reported partygoers parking in their yards and trespassing on private property.
One resident, Scott Gentry, described the traffic as "unbearable."
"Today our understanding was that it was Central University, I think their homecoming. So by the time I came home from working in Chapel Hill, I had to make a huge circle just to get home, and had to come to the roadblock. And we've been listening to cars and chaos for a, what, two or 3 hours now," said Scott Gentry, who lives in the area.
The sheriff's office estimated that approximately 10,000 people attended the event.
Meanwhile, not far from that area, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was investigating an overturned car on Gray Road between Al Gray and Berry Pearce roads. Another car was seen stopped on the shoulder.
Per NCSHP, there were seven passengers in the car ages 20, 21, 20, 21, 18, 20 and 20. Two of them were ejected out of the back windshield.
The driver was charged with driving while impaired, reckless driving and failure to maintain lanes.
Troopers could not confirm whether the driver and passengers are NCCU students, but they did verify that all individuals involved in the crash had attended the party.
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