Background: William Braddy appears in court in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in April 2026 (WRAL/YouTube). Inset: Carolyn Hyde (Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service).
A man in North Carolina has learned his fate after authorities say he drove under the influence, swerved into another lane, and crashed into a woman, killing her.
William Braddy was sentenced to roughly eight years in prison in connection with the death of 69-year-old Carolyn Robbins Hyde, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. His sentence came as part of a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to felony death by vehicle and felony possession of cocaine.
On May 8, 2024, Braddy — whose age was not immediately publicly available — was driving on Highway 258 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, in the northeastern part of the state. Authorities said he was under the influence, crossed over the center lane, and crashed into Hyde, area NBC affiliate WRAL reported.
Hyde was killed. This week, her family was present as Braddy learned his punishment.
"I'm just hoping that my mom's death was the last sacrifice to keep this guy in prison," Rick Hutchinson, Hyde's son, told the local outlet. "And so hopefully her sacrifice won't be for nothing."
Braddy reportedly had an extensive history of traffic violations stretching back nearly 30 years before he drove into Hyde. That history included multiple DWIs, charges of reckless driving, and speeding violations.
One of those instances was in September 2023, when authorities said Braddy was also driving on Highway 258 and hit a man. He was charged with crossing the center line and having fictitious identification.
Edgecombe County District Attorney Jeffrey Marsigli told WRAL in response to questions about why Braddy was still on the road in May 2024 that cases are frequently dismissed after violations are fixed, and reckless driving charges often don't lead to prison time.
For the May 2024 incident, Braddy was given credit for 700 days of time served. His faced a maximum prison sentence of 11 years.
Hyde is remembered in her obituary as having been born in the area. Before she "died unexpectedly," she was working part time at an area library.
Comments