A late-night party bus run turned into a demolition job in Raleigh’s Oakwood historic neighborhood early Saturday, when a commercial vehicle plowed into a home, ripped off the front porch and left the structure temporarily unsafe. The crash, reported around 12:50 a.m. on the 200 block of Pace Street near North Person Street, sent the driver to a nearby hospital as stunned neighbors and emergency crews converged on the scene.
Authorities identified the driver as 58-year-old Gary Fidell Kearse. Police say he was the only person on the bus when it hit a car, then a utility pole, and finally the house at 215 Pace Street, according to CBS17. Arrest records list multiple counts, including DWI in a commercial vehicle, reckless driving to endanger, felony injuring utility wires or fixtures, injury to real property, possession of an open container and failure to maintain lane control. Wake County records show Kearse was waiting to see a magistrate Saturday morning, when bond and release conditions would be set, the outlet reports.
Damage to a century-old porch
The damaged home sits within Oakwood’s early 20th century housing stock and faces one of the neighborhood’s narrow, tree-lined blocks, according to the City of Raleigh. Front porches are a defining feature of Oakwood’s streetscape, and preservation guidelines and neighbors note that those designs can complicate structural repairs and insurance claims after a vehicle strike.
Charges and legal context
Driving a commercial vehicle while impaired draws particular scrutiny from local law enforcement. The Raleigh Police Department DWI unit handles serious impaired-driving investigations along with high-visibility patrols that target such offenses. The Wake County Jail View system outlines how magistrates set bond and schedule initial court appearances; records in this case indicate a magistrate review was still pending Saturday morning to decide whether Kearse will be released while the charges move through the courts.
Investigation and next steps
Raleigh police say the wreck is still under investigation and that additional charges are possible depending on what officers and prosecutors determine, according to CBS17. The Raleigh Fire Department evaluated the building, marked the house unsafe for occupancy and remained on scene Saturday morning while crews addressed utility and structural damage.
