Soler makes first appearance in District Court
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 19, 2016 11:33 AM
Full Size
Soler
Chief Master Sgt. Hector Soler, who is charged in the drunk-driving death of 17-year-old Johny Robert Watson, appeared in Wayne County District Court this morning.
Soler, security forces manager at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, appeared in front of Judge Charles Gaylor III to have the charges against him explained.
Soler, 47, is charged with felony death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired and failure to reduce speed.
According to an accident report, Soler crashed into the back of Watson's Jeep around 11:30 p.m. Dec. 10, launching the Jeep 159 feet into a utility pole.
Watson suffered severe injuries, and died Dec. 15 from his wounds sustained in the crash after being flown from Wayne Memorial Hospital to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
District Attorney Matthew Delbridge said the case is in a "holding pattern" in district court until Soler is formally indicted on the charges by a grand jury, at which point the case will be handed up to superior court.
"Nothing of any significance will happen in district court," Delbridge said.
The indictment could come several months from now, Delbridge said.
Capt. Leann Rabun of the Goldsboro Police Department said Watson's girlfriend, Madison Grey Mooring, 18, was in the passenger seat of the car at the time of the wreck but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Rabun said Soler provided authorities with a statement about where he was coming from and where he was heading at the time of the wreck. Authorities are working to confirm that information.
Another of Soler's statements given after the crash about the status of Watson's vehicle when the wreck happened was determined during the course of the investigation to be false.
Soler claimed Watson was stopped in the middle of the road with his headlights off, but that was not the case.
"Through the course of the investigation we determined the young man had his headlights on and was going a very reasonable speed at the time of the wreck," Rabun said.
According to the accident report, Soler crashed into the rear of Watson's Jeep at 70 miles per hour on South George Street near Carver Boulevard, which is a 35 mph zone.
Soler was initially charged with felony serious injury by motor vehicle, which was upgraded to felony death by motor vehicle after Watson died.
Soler turned himself in to police Thursday, Dec. 15, around 7:30 p.m. on the upgraded charge.
He walked out of the Wayne County Magistrate's Office 40 minutes later on a $75,000 secured bond.
Seymour Johnson Public Affairs said Soler continues to report to work but has been "reassigned," and declined to confirm or deny if Soler will be allowed to retire.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the wreck is asked to contact officer M.M. Habermas at 919-580-4272.