A 22-year-old Denver man is dead after his SUV crossed the center line early Sunday morning, sideswiped another vehicle and slammed into a power pole in Lincoln County. The other driver was hospitalized with only minor injuries, and troopers say no charges will be filed in the case.
William Rakestraw Beardslee IV was driving a 2008 Toyota RAV4 west on Campground Road near Forney Hill Road when the vehicle crossed the centerline and sideswiped a 2018 Hyundai Tucson, according to the Lincoln Herald. The RAV4 then ran off the left side of the road and struck a power pole, the outlet reported. Beardslee, of Denver, died at the scene, and the driver of the Hyundai, identified as 44-year-old Soumalia Ouedraogo, also of Denver, was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
WHKY reports that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene at approximately 2:00 a.m. The Lincoln Herald says the crash occurred around 1:59 a.m., according to the Highway Patrol. Separately, Queen City News described troopers responding around 2 a.m. to reports of the crash on Campground Road near Forney Hill Road in Denver.
Impairment Suspected, but No Charges Coming
Troopers said impairment is suspected as a contributing factor in the collision, per WHKY's report. Despite that finding, the Lincoln Herald reports there will be no charges filed in connection with the crash. The dossier of public reporting does not include an official incident number, a crash diagram, or toxicology results explaining the no-charges outcome, and none of those details have been independently verified.
The crash adds to a string of deadly wrecks reported on Lincoln County roadways over the past year and a half. In July 2025, a 2008 Cadillac Escalade crossed the center line on Beth Haven Church Road and collided head-on with a 2014 Nissan Frontier, killing the Frontier's driver and leaving the Escalade driver with minor injuries, according to WSOC-TV. Then, in October 2025, two men from Charlotte were killed when a 2006 Acura RSX traveling in the southbound lane crashed head-on into a 2014 Nissan Altima, as reported by Queen City News.
What Remains Unknown
Beyond the confirmed injuries to the Hyundai driver, no further details about his current condition have been made public. The crash involved two vehicles: the RAV4 sideswiped a Hyundai before leaving the roadway. Troopers said impairment was suspected as a contributing factor, and no charges will follow.
