Child, man die in head-on crash on rural NC road. Driver hid in woods, police say
A man and a child died when a driver hit them head-on Friday night on a rural North Carolina road and ran into woods where he was later caught, a State Highway Patrol trooper said Saturday.
Pink Grant Lackey, 78, of Lenoir, and his 11-year-old front-seat passenger were pronounced dead at the scene, Senior Trooper Jake Macchia said in a news release.
Troopers charged the 20-year-old driver of the other vehicle with two counts of felony death by motor vehicle and one count each of driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and improper passing.
Troopers will discuss further charges with the District Attorney’s Office, Macchia said.
Around 8:45 p.m., the 20-year-old driver, in an eastbound 2018 Ford F-150, crossed the center line on U.S. 64 at Union Baptist Road in Caldwell County, the trooper said. The driver hit Lackey and the child, who were in a 2006 Honda Civic, according to the State Highway Patrol.
The Ford F-150 driver then veered off the road, hit a guardrail and a utility pole and ran away, Macchia said. He wasn’t hurt, the trooper said.
“The initial investigation indicates that speed and impairment were contributing factors in the collision,” according to the news release.
This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 10:09 AM.