Driver charged in Raleigh wreck that killed a Wake Forest man

Raleigh police charged a Youngsville man with driving while impaired after an accident on Capital Boulevard early Sunday that killed a 76-year-old passenger in another vehicle.

Antonio Carter, 46, also faces a misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed after the collision that killed Ralph O’Brien of Wake Forest, Raleigh police said in a news release.

At about 2:38 a.m., O’Brien was a front-seat passenger in a 2014 Ford Focus that his wife Pamela O’Brien, 76, drove north in the 9300 block of Capital Boulevard when a 2014 Mercedes Benz driven by Carter struck it from behind, Raleigh police said.

“The collision caused O’Brien’s vehicle to exit the roadway to the right and hit a tree,” the report said. “Carter’s vehicle continued northbound until coming to rest in the wood line to the right of the road.”

All three were taken to the hospital, where Ralph O’Brien was pronounced dead, Raleigh police said. Pamela O’Brien and Carter suffered minor injuries.

The accident remains under investigation, Raleigh police said.