A North Carolina father is in custody after he allegedly shot and killed a driver who fatally struck his teenage son earlier this week.
Chad Woods, 41, faces a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Jeffrey McKay, 39, according to the Person County Sheriff’s Office.
It happened shortly after 6am Monday when Mr Woods and his son were walking on Dink Ashley Road after their car ran out of gas.
McKay, who was driving a Department of Corrections truck, slammed into the teen, then called 911 and reported he had struck him.
The teen, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A short time after the tragic incident, the teen’s father allegedly shot and killed McKay, stole his truck and drove less than a mile away to his home in Timberlake, about 21 miles north of Durham.
The teen’s body was left on the side of the road, Sgt Kevin Morris told NBC News. Authorities located Mr Woods at his home after identifying the teen.
Mr Woods, who has a criminal record, Mr Morris said, is also facing a larceny of a motor vehicle charge for allegedly stealing McKay’s truck.
McKay, of Youngsville, was a maintenance worker in the North Carolina Department of Corrections, according to Morris.
Mr Woods’ father Lawrence Claiborne recalled his son’s reaction to losing the teen.
“He was just out of it, going off and stuff,” Mr Claiborne said. “He was going, ‘He just, he killed my son. He killed my son.’”
The teen’s brother told WRAL that he was a good person.
“He wanted to be an IT technician. He was doing, he wanted to be positive in life. He wanted to help people. He was a people person.”
It’s not clear when Mr Woods will appear in court. Second-degree murder carries a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to North Carolina sentencing guidelines.
Mr Morris also said that authorities are working to identify another person at the scene based on a voice heard in the background of the 911 call.
