One person was killed and several others injured Saturday morning when a driver suspected of being impaired struck a group of more than 40 cyclists in North Carolina, authorities said.
According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol, a little after 9:30 a.m. Eastern time a black Infiniti passenger car was traveling west on a road in Wake County when it crossed the center line and crashed into a group of cyclists who were biking east.
The driver did not stop at the scene, but continued for about a half-mile before crashing into a ditch on the side of the road, state highway patrol said.
Holly Springs Fire Chief LeRoy Smith said seven people were transported to a hospital with major injuries and 15 others sustained minor injuries. State highway patrol pegged the injury toll at about a dozen, however.
The deceased victim was identified by state highway patrol as 63-year-old Patrick Allen Turner of Cary, North Carolina.
The suspected driver, 76-year-old Donald Robert Morris-Jones of Apex, North Carolina, was arrested on multiple charges, including felony death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death, reckless driving and driving while impaired, according to officials.
He is being held on $1 million bond.
People at the scene told Smith the cyclists were part of a group that regularly gathers for weekend bike rides.
Wake County is located about 14 miles southwest of Raleigh.
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