Donald Robert Morris-Jones, 76, is being held on a $1 million secured bond after allegedly killing one cyclist and injuring 20 others during a Saturday morning ride in Wake County, North Carolina.
The crash unfolded around 9:40 a.m. On Optimist Farm Road when Morris-Jones, behind the wheel of a black Infiniti, veered across the center line and smashed into the group of 30 bikers from the Capital Cyclist Club traveling in the opposite direction, according to WRAL.
Authorities believe Morris-Jones was impaired at the time of the collision. After striking the cyclists, he crossed back into his own lane and continued driving for roughly a half-mile before crashing into a ditch, the Holly Springs Fire Department reported.
Patrick Turner, 63, died at the scene, according to officials. Seven other riders sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospitals, while 13 more suffered minor wounds, Holly Springs Fire Chief LeRoy Smith said.
Injuries among the survivors ranged from leg and rib wounds to a cut on the arm, an arrest warrant cited by the local station showed.
Morris-Jones was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, felony death by vehicle, seven counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, eight counts of felony hit-and-run, reckless driving, and driving left of the center.
He was booked into the Wake County Detention Center following his arrest.
One rider told WRAL that Optimist Farm Road is a frequent route for the Capital Cyclist Club, a detail that underscores the regularity of group rides in the area before Saturday’s devastating collision.
The road has since reopened to traffic.
The incident marks one of the most serious cycling crashes in the region in recent memory, with a single driver allegedly causing casualties across nearly the entire riding group.
Morris-Jones faces multiple felony counts that could carry significant prison time if he is convicted, with the death-by-vehicle charge alone representing one of the most serious driving-related offenses under North Carolina law.
His case is expected to proceed through Wake County courts as investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the crash and any potential impairment evidence.