Charges filed in deadly crash in Barco

The Highway Patrol has filed a pair of counts, including driving while impaired, against a Pennsylvania man whose stalled pick-up truck early Thursday in central Currituck County lead to the death of one person and serious injury of another.

Meanwhile, state troopers are consulting with the District Attorney’s office about filing additional charges.

William Custer, 56, of Wapawallopen, Penn., has been charged with driving while impaired and unsafe movement, according to Trooper J.W. Carroll.

“He was driving south on Barco Road just before 1 a.m. Thursday, when he overshot the stop sign at the intersection with Shortcut Road (U.S. 158) and his pick-up stalled out, partially blocking the westbound lane,” Carroll said.

Donald Bennett, 39, was driving westbound on U.S. 158, saw the stalled pick-up and a tractor-trailer approaching the intersection eastbound, according to Carroll.

For several miles, “The Shortcut” as its called by locals, is a long straightaway stretching from the N.C. 168 intersection, west to the middle of Great Swamp, and then makes another long straight run to the intersection with N.C. 34 in Belcross.

The speed limit along the length of Shortcut Road is 55 mph.

Bennett drove to the west and flagged down the approaching tractor trailer, driven by Andrian K.A. Njuguna, 39, a Kenyan national who lived in Raleigh.

“(Bennett) then followed the tractor trailer back to the scene,” Carroll said. Both Bennett and Njuguna got out of their vehicles and approached Custer’s stalled truck.

That’s when a third pick-up approached the scene westbout, who’s driver told Carroll he slowed down as he was blinded momentarily by the headlights of the tractor-trailer.

“The two men were standing next to (Custer’s) pick-up when the westbound truck “T-boned” the stalled truck, spun around and the rear portion of the moving truck hit the two pedestrians,” Carroll said.

The collision spun the stationary truck 180-degrees, while the moving pick-up did a full circle before coming to rest.

Njuguna was pronounced dead at the scene.

Air ambulance service was not available at the time of the crash, so Bennett was transported by Currituck EMS to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with serious head trauma.

“He has needed several surgeries already, but once he is stable enough he is going to be taken to a hospital in his hometown in Pennsylvania for more treatment,” Carroll said.

Custer had unspecified serious injuries and was initially taken to Albemarle Hospital where he was charged with the two counts, before being flown to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital.

The driver of the moving pick-up truck refused treatment at the scene.

“We expect to know Monday or Tuesday from the District Attorney if we will be able to charge (Custer) with anything else,” Carroll said.

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