No Criminal Charges To Be Filed In Fatal Kenly Motorcycle Crash

KENLY – No criminal charges will be filed in connection with an October 14 traffic collision that claimed the life of a 27-year-old Princeton man, Kenly Police Chief James Ayers announced Wednesday.

The Kenly Police Department has completed its investigation into the collision that killed Hunter Ray Woodard at the intersection of Princeton Kenly Road and Cummins Drive.

According to Chief Ayers, investigators reviewed the available evidence and sought assistance from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol before determining there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.

The findings were also reviewed by the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office, which agreed that the evidence did not support pursuing criminal charges.

The collision occurred around 4:30 p.m. on October 14 when a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup, driven by Richard Lowell Thomas of Pikeville, was traveling westbound on Princeton Kenly Road and attempting to turn left onto Cummins Drive.

The pickup and a 2009 Kawasaki ZX1000 motorcycle operated by Woodard collided.

Woodard suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to WakeMed, where he died later that night. Thomas was not injured.

In announcing the conclusion of the investigation Wednesday, Chief Ayers emphasized the department’s responsibility to conduct a fair and thorough review of the circumstances.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and loved ones who lost someone dear to them. No one wins when a life is lost in a tragic situation such as this. Our responsibility was to conduct a thorough, fair, and objective investigation, and we have done so. We extend our sincere condolences to everyone affected by this unfortunate tragedy,” Ayers said.

The police chief also thanked the State Highway Patrol and District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.

In an unrelated investigation, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary at Woodard’s home near Princeton that occurred during the hours after the collision.

Authorities said someone forcibly entered the residence on Woodard Road sometime between approximately 4:30 p.m. October 14 and 10 a.m. October 15, while Woodard was hospitalized.

A rifle and an undisclosed amount of cash were reported stolen.

The burglary investigation is separate from the completed traffic collision investigation.