1 dead, at least 12 injured after elderly driver plows into group of cyclists in North Carolina

One cyclist was killed and at least 12 others were injured after an elderly driver, suspected to be impaired, plowed into a group of cyclists in North Carolina.

Donald Robert Morris-Jones, 76, was driving on Optimist Farm Road in Wake County Saturday morning when he crossed the center line and struck the group of cyclists, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said. The incident unfolded about 14 miles southwest of Raleigh.

After striking the group, the vehicle traveled away from the scene then ran off the left side of the roadway and crashed into a ditch a half a mile away from the cyclists, officials said.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene just after 9:30 a.m.

One cyclist died as a result of the crash and at least a dozen more were hurt, authorities said. Their injuries range from minor to serious, and several were transported to hospitals for treatment.

Morris-Jones was taken into custody and “charges will be forthcoming,” the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said.

“Impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash,” the agency said.