A Warsaw man, 21-year-old Jesus Israel Lara, faces multiple charges following a fatal crash in Duplin County on May 17, according to authorities.
Lara is charged with felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, driving with an expired registration, and operating a vehicle with an open container of alcohol. Witnesses reported that Lara caused the death of 35-year-old Gerardo Favela-Gonzalez while driving impaired on S.R. 1307.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Favela-Gonzalez was a passenger in a pickup truck traveling on Beechs Mill Road when the driver lost control, ran off the roadway, struck a ditch, and overturned. Favela-Gonzalez was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Online records indicate Lara operated the vehicle recklessly, causing serious bodily injury to another individual. He is set to appear in Duplin County District Court on July 9.