99-year-old killed in head-on crash, North Carolina cops say. Driver charged with DUI
A 99-year-old was killed in a head-on crash as he rode through a popular North Carolina tourist town, officials said.
The Asheville Police Department said the man was a passenger in a van when a pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction crossed the center line of the road, slamming head-on into the other vehicle.
Now, the person accused of being behind the wheel of the pickup is charged with driving under the influence. Police in a news release didn’t share attorney information for the driver, identified as 46-year-old Stephen David Cordell.
Officers were called just before 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11. The crash was reported along Sweeten Creek Road, south of downtown.
Two people in the van were taken to Mission Hospital: “the driver with serious injuries and the passenger with life-threatening injuries,” police said.
The passenger later died from crash-related injuries. He was identified as 99-year-old Herbet Garman of Hendersonville, a nearby mountain town.
Evidence found in Cordell’s pickup “indicates possible drug impairment,” according to officers.
As of Dec. 14, an investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 828-252-1110 or text the message “TIP2APD” to the number 847411.
“Once the investigation has been completed, officers will consult with the Buncombe County District Attorney’s office for further charges,” police wrote.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 8:48 AM with the headline "99-year-old killed in head-on crash, North Carolina cops say. Driver charged with DUI."
