CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One person is dead after a crash in west Charlotte overnight Sunday, and police say the driver who caused the crash turned himself in.
According to Medic, the crash happened around 1 a.m. along Freedom Drive near Thrift Road.
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One person was pronounced dead by paramedics following the accident, Medic said. On Tuesday, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said 48-year-old William Morris Mitchell was the victim, and that his immediate family had been notified.
CMPD said Mitchell was in a Nissan Altima off of the roadway, and that a Volkswagen Passat on the scene had been overturned. The driver of the Passat, however, was not there. Police say the Passat was driven in the wrong lane when it hit a Dodge Caravan first, before continuing on to hit Mitchell's car. The Altima Mitchell was in then hit a utility pole and a tree. CMPD said high speed and reckless driving from the Passat's driver were factors in the crash.
The driver of the Caravan remained on the scene and was not injured.
Officers said around 6 a.m. on Sunday, hours after the crash, 31-year-old Raheem Lashawn Diaz called dispatch and said he was responsible for the crash. Police say he turned himself in and now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, felony hit and run, misdemeanor hit and run, and reckless driving.
WCNC Charlotte Photojournalist Nick Sheluga said Duke Energy was at the scene of the accident. No word on if the accident affected any power lines or caused any outages in the area.
Note: WCNC instituted a new policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.
WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.
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