Carteret Grand Jury Indicts Man For Crash That Forced Vehicle Off Bridge

A grand jury in Carteret County has indicted a man for second-degree murder in connection to a crash in which another driver was forced off a high-rise bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway and suffered fatal personal injuries.

According to a May 3 report in The Daily News of Jacksonville, in addition to the murder charge, 22-year-old Aaron Wesley McGarva has been indicted on a felony hit-and-run charge.

The indictment comes a month after the April 3 crash, which took place on the bridge near Morehead City. Police said McGarva was speeding when his vehicle struck a pickup truck driven by 64-year-old Henry Knott Jr. from behind.

The impact forced Knott's truck over the bridge railing and into the Newport River, killing him.

Police in Morehead City said they discovered marijuana in McGarva's vehicle.

McGarva originally faced lesser charges including felony death by motor vehicle and marijuana possession, but they were dismissed in the indictment.