HICKORY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Police are seeking the driver of a motorcycle who fled the scene of a deadly accident this month in Hickory involving a police cruiser.
A 12-year-old boy and his mother were killed in the Sept. 8 accident, according to N.C. State Highway Patrol.
Hickory Police have charged 24-year-old Chanceler Timothy Johnson. He is wanted on two counts of felony elude arrest in motor vehicle causing death.
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Cynthia Nicole Lail, 38, of Hickory, died at the crash scene, and her son, Michael Lail, 12, succumbed to his injuries on Sept. 10.
The deadly accident happened around 11 p.m. on U.S. 70 at 13th Street SW in Catawba County. Highway Patrol said a Hickory police officer attempted to pull over a motorcycle in the area for careless and reckless driving and failing to show a license plate.
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As the officer and motorcyclist got to the intersection, a 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan, driven by Cynthia Lail, entered the intersection and was struck by the police cruiser, troopers said.
Investigators believe Johnson is traveling in a silver Hyundai Sonata with the license plate No. KER-1082. He may be in the company of Cheyene Faith Raines, 21.
The officer driving the Explorer, identified as Atia Mohamed Shamseldin, 24, was transported to Catawba Valley Medical Center with minor injuries. The passenger, Matthew Lee Wendell, 21, was also taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with minor injuries.
The passenger was a Hickory Police Department applicant, NCSHP said.
Cynthia Lail died at the scene, and her son, Michael, was initially taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s Hospital, where he died from his injuries on Sunday.
The motorcyclist involved in the pursuit did not stop and fled the scene, police said.
Shamseldin has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The area was closed for about three hours on Friday. The NC State Highway Patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit is conducting the investigation.
Anyone with information on Johnson or Raines’ whereabouts is asked to call the Hickory Police
Department at 828-328-5551.
