CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man was sentenced to prison over two years after he was involved in a crash that left five people dead.
On Monday, Dakeia Charles, 26, appeared in Mecklenburg County court and pleaded guilty to give counts of second-degree murder and a long list of other charges and was sentenced to 250-324 months (20-27 years) in prison.
Charles admitted to driving over 100 mph on I-485 near W.T. Harris Blvd on July 3, 2020 around 7:30 p.m. before sideswiping a box truck. That impact caused the truck to swerve into oncoming traffic and crash into multiple vehicles.
The truck went over another vehicle and killed a backseat passenger, Mark Barlaan, 58. An SUV then crashed into the truck while trying to avoid it. The collision killed a married couple and their two children. Matthew Obester, 34, Andrea Obester, Elizabeth, 12, and Violet, 9, were all killed in the crash.
The driver of the truck was severely injured in the crash, according to investigators.
Charles was found to be under the influence of alcohol during the crash. A previous conviction for driving under the influence prohibited him from driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .04 or more, however, he was driving with .07 BAC.
Charles suffered injuries in the crash and was arrested after being released from the hospital on July 9, 2020.
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He was charged with:
- Five counts of Second-degree murder
- Assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury
- Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon
- Reckless driving
- Speeding
- Driving while impaired
- Failure to comply with a license restriction
Charles decided to accept a plea agreement on Thursday after two years of litigation, according to court records.