Moped Driver Killed In Crash On U.S. 421 Near Clinton

A recently hired prison guard who was to attend training in Salemburg has been charged with driving while impaired after a crash in which a moped operator he struck suffered fatal personal injuries on U.S. 421 near Clinton on October 5.

According to Trooper J.L. Murphy of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, 52-year-old Warrenton resident David Craig Wemyss has also been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed.

Murphy said that shortly after midnight, Wemyss was southbound in a Ford Explorer on Faircloth Freeway near Clinton when he struck the also southbound moped driven by 24-year-old Bruce Lee Holder from behind. The moped was pushed a distance of approximately 82 feet before Holder was ejected.

According to Murpy, Wemyss continued traveling a distance of 1.2 miles, dragging the crumpled moped under his vehicle before he finally pulled over. Holder, who died at the scene, was found 285 feet from the point of impact.

Murphy said that Wemyss had been hired by the Department of Corrections about three months ago and was to work at a prison in Warren County. He was in Sampson County to attend training at the N.C. Justice Academy.

Murphy said that Wemyss was not under the influence of alcohol. A breathalyzer test was administered, showing him to have no alcohol in his system.

Wemyss agreed to a blood test to check for other substances in his system, according to Murphy. The results may return in four to six weeks.