Woman charged in fatal December accident
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on February 8, 2008 1:55 PM
Police filed misdemeanor death by motor vehicle charges Thursday against a 47-year-old Goldsboro woman involved in a Dec. 31 crash, according to police records.
Marcia Irene Rohde of U.S. 70 West is also charged with failing to stop for a red light at the intersection of Interstate 795 and N.C. 581, Capt. Grayham Keesler said.
The crash killed Jimmy Russell Pearson, 73, of Carey Road, Kinston, after the 8:45 a.m. collision caused his Lincoln Town Car to careen into a ditch along the interstate, according to police reports.
Police knew they would eventually file charges, but had to determine if Ms. Rohde had done anything malicious in allegedly causing the wreck, Keesler said.
The police captain described the 47-year-old Goldsboro woman as "very cooperative," and said police believe that her failure to stop was an accident.
Keesler said misdemeanor death by motor vehicle is the least serious charge authorities could lodge against Ms. Rhode for her involvement.
"Obviously, she's got to be charged because she caused ... a death," Keesler said. "We had to wait for some witness statements."
Ms. Rohde was traveling east on U.S. 117 and Pearson was headed north and attempting to cross N.C. 581 when the crash occurred, reports show.
A magistrate set an unsecured $1,500 bond for the charges, according to Ms. Rohde's arrest report.
Police said Pearson was the grandfather of a Goldsboro city fireman.