DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — A deadly crash in October has been linked to a high-speed police chase involving a 17-year-old driver. State Highway Patrol said the crash left one passenger dead and two juveniles injured.
It happened on the morning of October 31 on NC 150, just north of Mt. Carmel Road.
Troopers said the crash stemmed from an attempted traffic stop the previous night. They said Salisbury Police pursued a red Mazda CX-9 on Jake Alexander Boulevard in Salisbury. The chase continued onto I-85 Northbound but was called off as it approached Davidson County. Troopers said the same vehicle was involved in a deadly crash just hours later in Davidson County.
The passenger, 33-year-old Kayla Lynn Taylor of Concord, died at the scene. Two juveniles, later confirmed to have been involved in the crash, were treated for injuries at Rowan Regional Hospital. One of them, the driver of the Mazda, identified as 17-year-old Kaiell Zachkery Thompkins of Salisbury, has been charged and is currently being held in a juvenile detention facility in Concord.
The NC State Highway Patrol, in collaboration with Salisbury Police and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), is conducting an investigation.
The roadway near the crash site was closed for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation.