BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A family is expressing concern over the search efforts following the death of 26-year-old Mark Charles BeHannesy Jr. after a crash on I-40 on Aug. 20.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, BeHannesy was driving a 2000 Subaru Legacy westbound on I-40 when he veered off the roadway near mile marker 55, collided with a sign, and overturned multiple times. He was ejected from the vehicle during the incident.
Emergency responders arrived to find the vehicle unoccupied. Despite using thermal imaging technology, they were unable to locate BeHannesy initially. Family members reported him missing to the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, which led to a renewed search of the area.
Witnesses reported the family's frustration with the search efforts, particularly regarding visibility in the wooded area where the crash occurred. “There was a gap in between the bushes, where you would have been able to see him,” said Shyiann Anderson, BeHannesy's niece.
On Aug. 21, after the family's search, BeHannesy's body was discovered at the top of an embankment.
Brittany Biefelt, Mark's sister, described him as a loving family member who enjoyed fishing and working on cars. The State Highway Patrol's Collision Reconstruction Unit is conducting an ongoing investigation into the crash.