An early morning chain-reaction crash involving a stolen vehicle left three people hurt in Raleigh on Thursday, tangling the commute and pulling in multiple law enforcement agencies. Troopers say the driver first slammed a stolen SUV into another car, then jumped into a Good Samaritan's pickup and took off before wrecking again near downtown. The suspect was taken to the hospital with what authorities described as minor injuries. It is the latest in a stretch of stolen-car chases that has kept the Triangle on edge this spring.
According to WRAL, the first collision happened at Ten-Ten Road and Old Stage Road. Investigators say that is where the driver ditched the stolen SUV, grabbed a witness' truck and sped away, only to crash again on Morgan Street near downtown, hitting at least two other vehicles. Sky 5 video showed a flipped pickup and heavy damage to several cars, and WRAL reports that troopers from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and deputies from the Wake County Sheriff's Office responded at the different scenes. Troopers told the station they believe the driver was impaired, though formal charges have not yet been released.
Barefoot Car Thief Vanishes, a May incident previously covered by Hoodline, highlighted how short pursuits and stolen-car recoveries have been turning into a regular headache for Wake County officers. In that earlier case, a driver ditched a vehicle on Poole Road and disappeared on foot. Neighbors and commuters say the latest crashes only add to worries about safety during already busy travel times, while local police continue to ask the public for video or tips in open investigations.
Hotter temps and weekend storm risk
While traffic was snarling on the ground, forecasters at the National Weather Service Raleigh were tracking a different kind of trouble. Meteorologists say a building heat ridge will push feels-like temperatures toward 100 degrees heading into the weekend, with scattered storms returning to the region. The area forecast discussion flags a "slight risk" of severe storms and an elevated chance of damaging straight-line winds, particularly across the northern and western Piedmont. With the exact timing and placement of storm clusters still uncertain, forecasters are urging residents to keep an eye on local updates.
Snakebite rate tops the nation
A 2026 national analysis, reported locally by ABC11 via WLOS, found that North Carolina has the highest estimated rate of venomous snakebites per capita in the country, at roughly 18.79 incidents per 100,000 people. The Carolinas Poison Control center notes that copperheads account for most of those bites and offers first aid guidance, including calling 1-800-222-1222 for immediate help. More detailed information is available from Carolina Poison Control. Officials say most bites happen when someone accidentally steps on or startles a snake while working in the yard, hiking or camping during the warmer months.
Raleigh man pleads guilty in $60M lab scam
In a separate federal case, prosecutors say Raleigh resident James Shuford Price III admitted to paying illegal kickbacks to drum up referrals to his California laboratory and to filing a false federal tax return, according to Federal Newswire. Court documents filed in Wilmington state that Golden Star Labs submitted more than $85 million in false Medi-Cal claims and more than $11 million in false Medicare claims tied to COVID-19, influenza and RSV testing, with over $60 million actually paid out. Investigators also said the scheme paid "collectors" for fake samples and that law enforcement seized more than $6 million linked to the operation.
Legal fallout
Price faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison, a $500,000 fine and restitution to Medicare, Medi-Cal and the IRS, local reporting notes. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is leading the prosecution, with assistance from HHS-OIG, the FBI and IRS investigators, according to ABC11.
On the national front, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the administration to proceed with ending temporary protections for certain Haitian and Syrian nationals, a move with broad implications for immigration policy, AP reported. At the same time, rescuers in Venezuela rushed to reach survivors after a pair of powerful earthquakes, measured at about 7.2 and 7.5, that officials said had killed at least 164 people and injured nearly 1,000, according to coverage by NPR.
Investigators say the Raleigh crash remains under active investigation and have not yet announced formal charges. Anyone with video or information is asked to contact local law enforcement, authorities told WRAL. With heat and storms moving in, officials also urge residents to stay weather-aware and to follow Poison Control instructions if a snakebite occurs. We will update this story as officials release more details.
