CHADBOURN — An 18-year-old Chadbourn man has been formally charged following a North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigation into a multi-vehicle collision in Clarendon that killed a Tabor City woman and injured four other people.
Mathias James Pelot, 18, of 3686 Rough and Ready Rd., Chadbourn, was taken into custody on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 6:35 p.m.. Pelot is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and reckless driving to endanger.
The charges stem from a multi-vehicle wreck in Clarendon that claimed the life of 51-year-old Misty Ezzell of Tabor City after her Honda SUV was struck. Four others were hurt in the collision, including Ezzell’s passenger, Eric Blackwell, who was airlifted to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. Three occupants of the first vehicle struck during the crash sequence—Nada Weatherford, 48, her husband Billy Weatherford, and her mother Barbara Long—were also injured; the Weatherfords were transported to an area trauma center, while Long did not sustain serious injuries.
Pelot was initially transported to Columbus Regional Healthcare System in Whiteville for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries before being transferred to New Hanover Regional Medical Center. He was served with arrest warrants upon his release from the hospital, processed into the Columbus County Detention Center, and released Wednesday on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
All individuals named in this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.
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