Teen dies from injuries sustained in wreck
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 15, 2016 2:11 PM
Johny Robert Watson, the 17-year-old hit by a drunk driver Saturday night, died at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville today after being taken off of life support, according to a GoFundMe page set up after the wreck.
He died after having emergency surgery and being put into a medically induced coma earlier this week.
His family allowed the hospital to remove his organs to be donated before doctors disconnected the machines keeping their son alive.
The hospital is flying a flag honoring organ donation for the first time ever for the next 48 hours in Watson's memory, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the teen after the crash.
Police have not yet indicated whether the charges against Chief Master Sergeant Hector Soler, 47, of 105 Laredo Drive, Security Forces Manager at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, will be upgraded from the original charges of driving while impaired, felony serious injury by motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed.
Soler's blood alcohol content was .16 at the time of the wreck around 11:30 p.m. Saturday -- more than twice the legal limit.
According to an accident report, Soler crashed into the back of Watson's Jeep on South George Street near Carver Boulevard going 70 mph.
Soler sent Watson's Jeep flying 159 feet into a utility pole at the intersection of South George Street and Carver Boulevard, the report said.
Soler told police Watson's car was parked in the roadway with no headlights on when he struck the car, but Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West said that is not the case.
"His lights were on, and he was going between 20 and 25 mph, possibly slowing down for the railroad tracks," West said.
According to the report, Soler's speedometer was stuck at 70 mph after the crash.
Watson was initially taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital with severe head injuries and then flown to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
Soler was arrested after the crash, taken to the Wayne County Jail and given a $20,000 secured bond for an initial charge of felony serious injury by motor vehicle. He was also 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 after being booked in the jail in the twilight hours of Sunday morning.
Soler is the Security Forces Manager for the 4th Security Forces Squadron at SJAFB.
His position puts him in charge of 230 people, according to information obtained from SJAFB public affairs.
Soler enlisted in the Air Force in 1987 and has been stationed in Goldsboro since July 2015.
Prior to arriving in Goldsboro, Soler was stationed in Japan, New Jersey, Turkey, Virginia, Arizona, New York and Texas.
Fourth Fighter Wing Commander Col. Christopher Sage could not be immediately reached for comment.