BURLINGTON, N.C. — A man riding in a car with an alleged impaired driver died in a single-car crash Friday night in Alamance County, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP).
The NCSHP says the crash happened on Union Ridge Road near Darrell Davis Road in Burlington. A passenger, Eric Steven Morton, Jr., died. Morton was 48.
Earnest Leon Jones, 42, was driving the 2004 Ford passenger car when he crossed the center line, went off the road to the right and hit a utility pole. The car overturned and stopped on the right side of the roadway, according to a release.
Jones was charged with:
- Felony Death by Motor Vehicle
- Driving While Impaired
- Failure to Wear a Seatbelt
Jones had minor injuries. Two other passengers were taken to Moses Cone Hospital for injuries that weren't considered life-threatening. Jones has a court date set for Monday and has a $25,000 bond. He's currently in Alamance County Jail.
Morton and Jones are from Norfolk, Virginia.
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