17-year-old facing DWI charge after Tunstall student killed, alcohol bought in Va.
(Photo Courtesy: Jamie McBride)
CHATHAM, Va. (WSET) -- A 17-year-old has been charged after an accident in North Carolina left a Tunstall High School student dead.
Police said Brandi Beckelheimer, 18, was in an SUV with four other teenagers driving home from Hyco Lake in North Carolina on Sunday, May 20 around 8:30 p.m.
State Trooper Mark Melvin said the driver, Colby Payne, 17, was going down Concord Ceffo Road in Semora, North Carolina. He said Beckelheimer was hanging out the front passenger window and she fell out on to the asphalt.
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The ages of the teenagers in the vehicle ranged from 17-18.
Police said alcohol was involved in the crash. Trooper Melvin said Payne had .06 of blood alcohol content in his system.
Trooper Melvin made it clear that not all of the teenagers in the vehicle had alcohol in their system, but investigators did draw blood from Beckelheimer to see if she had been drinking.
Payne has been charged with driving while intoxicated of a provisional licensee, which means even though he is below the legal limit, .08, he's also below the legal drinking age.
North Carolina Highway Patrol said an investigation revealed that the alcohol was purchased in Virginia so the investigation has been handed off to Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Officials are still waiting on Beckelheimer’s blood results.
