Chief Master Sergeant facing felony charge after drunk-driving crash
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 13, 2016 5:42 PM
A Chief Master Sergeant stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is facing a felony charge after allegedly driving drunk and crashing into the back of a car at 70 miles per hour Saturday night.
Hector Soler, 47, is charged with driving while impaired, failure to reduce speed and felony serious injury by motor vehicle.
According to an accident report, Soler crashed into the back of 17-year-old Johny Robert Watson's Jeep on South George Street near Carver Boulevard around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
The report said Soler was driving his Hyundai at 70 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone when he struck Watson's Jeep and sent the car flying into a utility pole at the intersection of South George Street and Carver Boulevard.
Soler told police Watson's car was parked in the roadway with no headlights on when he struck the car.
According to the report, Soler's speedometer was stuck at 70 miles per hour after the crash.
Soler had a BAC of .16 -- more than twice the legal limit -- at the time of the wreck, the report said.
Watson was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital with severe head injuries and then flown to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West said Watson remains in critical condition in Greenville and is in a medically-induced coma after having surgery for injuries sustained in the crash.
Soler was arrested and taken to the Wayne County Jail and given a $20,000 secured bond for felony serious injury by motor vehicle, and was given a $2,000 unsecured bond for the charges of DWI and failure to reduce speed, according to arrest reports.
West said Soler paid his bond immediately.
SJAFB Public Affairs Specialist Robert Kerns said when reached by phone Tuesday afternoon no official action has been taken against Soler yet.