Man who struck patrol car killing Knightdale police officer indicted on murder charge
One year after the death of a Knightdale police officer, a Wake County grand jury has indicted a man on a charge of second-degree murder.
On Oct. 17, 2021, 23-year-old Officer Ryan Hayworth was killed on Interstate 540 after his parked patrol SUV was hit by a car traveling 70 mph driven by Dedric Privette of Knightdale.
Privette, 40, who was driving a 2011 Mercedes-Benz, was also indicted Monday on charges of driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, felony serious injury and failing to move over for an emergency vehicle, according to ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner.
Hayworth, who had been on the job just three months, was investigating an earlier crash on I-540 just after 2:30 a.m. that day when Privette struck one of the police cars, pushing it into another, The N&O reported.
A second police officer who was with Hayworth, Cody Hagler, was also injured in the crash.
Hayworth and Hagler were ejected from the vehicle, which caught fire during the crash.
Hayworth landed several feet away from the collision and died at the hospital hours later, according to a wrongful death lawsuit that his family filed against Privette in February.
Hundreds of people gathered in Knightdale for a vigil for the police officer last October to remember his life and service. He was buried on Oct. 22, 2021.
Privette was injured in the crash and was held on a $2 million bail in Wake County jail, according to reports. As of Tuesday morning, he is awaiting trial on the charges.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 8:35 AM.