Woman charged with murder was going 113 mph during fatal crash in Durham, police say

A Durham woman has been charged with murder after a fatal crash killed one person and injured two others.

On Monday, Durham police announced that Nyasia Palmer, 22, of Morrisville has been charged with second-degree murder, felony death by vehicle, two counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, speeding, failure to maintain lane control, reckless driving, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving while license revoked.

On Oct. 5, police said, Palmer was driving 113 mph in a 45 mph zone around 3 a.m. on Page Road near Comstock Road when she lost control of her vehicle.

She ran off the road, slid sideways across a median and struck a large tree. The car also went airborne and landed upside down in the roadway.

Elijah Hawkins-Maynor, 22, of Durham was a passenger in Palmer’s car and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other passengers in the car suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Police have not said how Hawkins-Maynor and Palmer knew each other.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to call Investigator G.L. Munter at 919-560-4935 ext. 29448.

This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 12:56 PM.