Background: News footage of the scene in Holly Springs, N.C., where Max Dunham was killed on Oct. 26 (WTVD). Inset (left): Max Dunham (Dignity Memorial). Inset (right): Ashton Rahlfs (Wake County Sheriff's Office).
A North Carolina teenager who was charged with drunk driving now faces murder charges after police said he drove "carelessly and recklessly" before he fatally struck another teenager on a bicycle.
Ashton Rahlfs, 16, was already charged with driving while impaired and driving while consuming alcohol under the age of 21 in connection with an Oct. 26 incident that took the life of 14-year-old Max Dunham and seriously injured 20-year-old Brandon Russell. Nearly a month later, Rahlfs was also indicted on charges of second-degree murder, death by vehicle, and serious injury by vehicle.
Rahlfs, who was allegedly driving with a learner's permit and not a license, was found to be speeding and intoxicated at the time of the two collisions, police said.
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According to Holly Springs Police, Rahlfs was behind the wheel of a Honda Passport SUV at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 26 when he made impact with Dunham on his bike. After allegedly hitting Dunham, Rahlfs continued driving and crossed the road, hitting Russell's Honda Civic head-on and trapping Russell inside his own vehicle until firefighters extricated him. Russell was seriously injured and remains hospitalized. Dunham died at the scene.
Local ABC affiliate WTVD spoke to Lynwood Montague, whose house was steps away from the crash site and who called 911 after hearing "this loud crash" while watching TV. He told WTVD, "I got up, went outside and was looking around, and all of a sudden I heard the worst screaming I have ever heard, and moaning. And I just knew it was bad."
Court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate WRAL stated that there were two other teenagers in Rahlfs' SUV. Police said there were several cans of Twisted Tea in Rahlfs' SUV, both opened and unopened. Rahlfs allegedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.11 following the crash and had been driving more than twice the 35 mph speed limit.
Police said that Rahlfs was "driving carelessly and recklessly for a significant time before the crash."
Rahlfs was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, death by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under the age of 21, violating the terms of his permit, and other misdemeanor charges in connection with the crash. He remains in custody at Wake County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 1.