A late-night chase on Interstate 77 allegedly ended with a wrong-way, head-on crash near Sunset Road, leaving multiple people injured and a Charlotte man facing several charges.
According to Charlotte Alerts News, 37-year-old Mark Lee was arrested July 31 after a state trooper tried to stop the BMW for allegedly traveling 89 mph in a 55-mph zone. The report says Lee sped away, later drove the wrong way on I-77 and collided head-on with two vehicles near Sunset Road.
Reported Blood Alcohol Level Was Nearly Three Times The Limit
The report says Lee was screened for impairment and had a blood alcohol percentage of 0.22. North Carolina law defines impaired driving to include operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, according to the North Carolina General Statutes.
The report says Lee was charged with speeding, wrong-way driving, hit and run and DWI. It did not identify the people injured in the other vehicles or provide their medical conditions, and the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
Wrong-Way Crashes Have Long Haunted Charlotte Roads
North Carolina transportation officials have studied the danger before. A North Carolina Department of Transportation study found that 162 wrong-way freeway crashes occurred statewide from 2000 through 2005, including 34 fatal crashes; 65% happened at night, while alcohol or drugs were involved in 43% of the crashes.
The state study also documented a cluster of five wrong-way crashes in the Charlotte area between October 2005 and March 2006 that caused seven deaths. The older data does not establish a current trend, but it underscores why a driver heading against traffic on a busy interstate can turn a traffic stop into a life-threatening emergency within moments.
The case also follows a recent Charlotte wrong-way crash prosecution. In June, Hoodline reported that a Charlotte man received 20 to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a fatal hit-and-run involving a pickup truck investigators said was traveling the wrong way.
