UNC student was driving 124 mph during deadly crash near campus, court documents reveal

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- New court documents obtained by the ABC11 I-Team reveal more details about the deadly crash near the University of North Carolina that killed one student.

The crash happened around 2 a.m. Jan. 21 about 10 minutes from the university's campus along NC-54 at West Barbee Chapel Road.

One UNC student died in the crash, and another was injured. Now the ABC11 I-Team has learned a third student, who is a member of the Tar Heel football team, is facing criminal charges related to the case.

Documents reveal the driver of the crashed car, 21-year-old Flemeeja Beatrice Brewer, was traveling 124 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The posted speed limit in the area is 45 miles per hour.

Brewer lost control of the vehicle, which then flipped over and landed in a culvert.

There were two passengers in the vehicle with Brewer when the crash happened. Molly Rotunda, 20, was a classmate at UNC with Brewer. She died in the crash.

The other passenger, Brianna Pinson, sustained non-life-threatening injuries; she does not attend UNC.

Ricky Roberson lives in the neighborhood right behind where the crash happened. He said the sound of the crash woke him up.

"The collision with those saplings hitting the culvert...I knew it was terrible," he said. "That curve right there you got to be paying attention if you're going any speed at all. I just knew someone got hurt in it, but I didn't know how bad."

The ABC11 I-Team has now learned that UNC football player Zach Rice, 20, was in a different car in the same area when the crash happened. Investigators refused to give further details about his connection to the crash, but he does face criminal charges of exceeding a posted speed limit, driving after consuming alcohol, consuming/possessing alcohol while being under 21 years old.

ABC11 asked UNC Athletics to confirm his status with the team. The university said he remains a student but would not elaborate further.

Student Bethany Pryor told ABC11 she called Rotunda that Sunday morning. They were supposed to hang out, but instead, she saw her location was at the hospital.

"The only thing I remember is I just screamed and I came running in and my suite mates asked what's wrong," she said.

Pryor said she met Rotunda through her boyfriend, and she was supposed to room with her next year. She said Rotunda had a big heart for helping and being there for people.

"The most selfless person ever. She thought about everyone before herself. She never had a thought about how she'd help me, she always said 'How can I help you?'" She said, "Molly Rotunda was the best friend anyone could've ever asked for."