A weekend drive through northwest Raleigh turned tragic Saturday when a sedan collided with an airport shuttle, killing two parents and sending their child to the hospital. The crash left a Fast Park shuttle on its side on Glenwood Avenue at Lumley Road near the I-540 ramp, shutting the nearby ramp down for hours as police and witnesses watched crews work the scene. The sedan’s driver was also hospitalized and now faces a slate of criminal charges while investigators sort through what happened.
Police identify victims
Raleigh police said the collision happened around 3:02 p.m. Saturday in the 9400 block of Glenwood Avenue near Lumley Road and involved a Nissan Altima and a Fast Park shuttle. According to WRAL, the two adults who later died from their injuries were identified as 48-year-old Scott Christofferson and his wife, 44-year-old Jennifer Christofferson. Their child, who was also hurt in the wreck, remained hospitalized, authorities said.
Driver charged
The Altima’s driver, 70-year-old Barry W. Hayes, was treated for his injuries and now faces a long list of charges. He is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle, reckless driving causing serious injury, a red-light violation, driving without an operator’s license and operating a vehicle with unsafe tires, according to ABC11. Police said Hayes ran a red light while traveling south down the ramp from Glenwood Avenue before hitting the bus, according to their account. The shuttle driver was not injured.
Shuttle, passengers and response
Officials said several passengers on the shuttle were taken to area hospitals, including two with life-threatening injuries. The News & Observer reported that Fast Park is a private park-and-ride company that serves Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and that no RDU-operated vehicle was involved. First responders kept the ramp closed for hours while crash teams documented the scene and looked for evidence.
Why the stretch matters
Glenwood Avenue has already been on planners’ radar as a trouble spot, repeatedly flagged in regional planning and local coverage as a corridor in need of safety upgrades thanks to heavy traffic and a history of serious wrecks. Segments of US-70 tied to Glenwood have been folded into long-term improvement plans, according to those reports and police statements. This latest deadly crash adds more urgency to long-running concerns about the busy route.
Investigation and how to help
Raleigh police said the investigation remains active and that detectives shared their findings with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office before charges were brought, according to ABC11. Authorities are asking anyone who has video from the area or additional information about the crash to contact Raleigh crash detectives.
As of Monday evening, officials said no further details were available while they continued notifying family members and processing the extensive crash scene. They said more information will be released as it becomes available.
