Former interim ECU chancellor charged in fatal Raleigh crash with teen motorcyclist
A former interim chancellor of East Carolina University is one of two people charged in a wreck that killed a Raleigh motorcyclist earlier this month, search warrants show.
Daniel “Dan” Gerlach, 57, is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle in the Feb. 6 death of Ethan Murillo-Ceron, 18, according to court records. Gerlach resigned in 2019 from his role as interim chancellor of ECU after photos and videos were posted online showing him socializing with students at local bars, The News & Observer previously reported.
Natasha Devon Brandon, 47, is also charged in the crash, including felony hit-and-run resulting in death and misdemeanor death by vehicle, court records show.
Gerlach declined to comment Thursday through his lawyer.
On Feb. 6 at 9:22 p.m., police were called to the intersection of Fairfax Drive and Falls of Neuse Road, where Murillo-Ceron’s 2012 Kawasaki EX650 had struck Gerlach’s 2023 Hyundai Elantra, according to a search warrant.
Gerlach allegedly failed to yield the right of way to Murillo-Ceron, court documents show. Gerlach was turning left from Falls of Neuse Road onto Fairfax Drive when he traveled into Murillo-Ceron’s path, according to the search warrant.
Murillo-Ceron tried to stop but didn’t have time, court documents state. His motorcycle hit the right rear corner of Gerlach’s car, with the impact “causing the bike to go down and slide 200.5 feet” and sending Murillo-Ceron sliding across the road, according to a search warrant.
That was when Brandon, of Creedmoor, allegedly ran over Murillo-Ceron with her 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, according to search warrants.
“Video footage shows that another vehicle then ran over Mr. Murillo-Ceron while he was laying in the street,” the search warrant says.
A man used Brandon’s phone to call 911 at the scene, and Brandon told officers she swerved to try to avoid Murillo-Ceron, according to a search warrant.
But the search warrant contradicts Brandon’s claim, saying, “video footage shows there was no attempt to swerve or brake prior to impact.”
Brandon left the scene before providing her information to officers, leading to the hit-and-run charge, court documents allege.
What investigators said
Investigators who examined the scene said vehicles could be seen for more than 200 feet in both directions, and there were streetlights on both sides of the road, according to a search warrant.
“Mr. Murillo-Ceron was laying in the left straight lane illuminated by a streetlight,” the warrant states. “Based on these circumstances, it is reasonable the driver of the [Tiguan] should have seen Mr. Murillo-Ceron in the roadway.”
Twelve days later, police found the Tiguan driven by Brandon backed into the driveway of a home on Pointer Drive in Raleigh. Investigators executed a search warrant on the SUV to obtain camera footage from its front-facing mirror camera and other electronic data, records show.
Police also seized from the Tiguan two plastic bags containing marijuana, a glass pipe, rolling papers, a grinder and a rolled joint and a plastic bag with a white powdery substance, according to the search warrant.
Police said they didn’t suspect Gerlach was impaired at the time of the crash but have not responded to a follow-up question from The N&O on Thursday as to whether Brandon may have been impaired.
The initial press release from the Raleigh Police Department stated Murillo-Ceron was struck by an Elantra operated by a male but did not mention the Tiguan. Police did not identify Brandon or Gerlach in the initial release.
In response to follow-up questions from The N&O after Brandon’s arrest on Feb. 18, police would only say “an additional vehicle” was identified and would not confirm that vehicle’s make and model.
A Gofundme was set up to return Murillo-Ceron’s remains to his family in Colombia. The fundraiser has raised $3,309 of its $10,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon. Murillo-Ceron worked as a server at Carajillo’s Mexican Restaurant in Raleigh, according to a Facebook post by a friend.
Who is Dan Gerlach?
Before Gerlach’s time at ECU, he led the Golden LEAF Foundation and once served as a financial adviser to then- Gov. Mike Easley. He now works as a lobbyist for former Sen. Tom Apodaca’s Raleigh-based firm Vista Strategies.
Gerlach was named interim chancellor in April 2019, gaining a reputation for being approachable to students. But he was put on administrative leave during a UNC System investigation into his actions at a Greenville bar where he was seen drinking and dancing with younger patrons, The N&O previously reported. Less than a month later, he stepped down from the role, saying he took responsibility for his actions.
The investigation by a law firm hired by the UNC Board of Governors found that Gerlach had consumed multiple drinks before driving himself home during that night in late September 2019, though Gerlach and several witnesses said he was not intoxicated when he left to go home.
Brandon was released from the Wake County jail after posting a $50,000 bond, court records show.
Gerlach was not arrested but was given a citation for the charge. Under North Carolina law, police can issue citations for misdemeanors instead of booking the person charged into jail.
