Winston-Salem man convicted of murder of Lexington High School Asst. Principal
A 55-year-old Winston-Salem man has been convicted of second-degree murder in the 2020 automobile accident which caused the death of a Lexington Senior High School assistant principal.
On Thursday, a Forsyth County jury convicted Richard Allen Moore of Ader Drive, Winston-Salem of second-degree murder and felony death by a motor vehicle in the death of Holly Hinson.
At 12:10 p.m. on April 28, 2020, officers from the Winston-Salem Police Department responded to a traffic accident in the 3900 block of N. Liberty Street. The investigation by law enforcement showed that Moore was driving a Jeep Laredo north on Liberty Street when he illegally crossed into oncoming southbound lanes and struck a Honda Pilot traveling southbound driven by Lisa Hathaway.
The passenger in the Honda Pilot, identified as 35-year-old Hinson, was killed at the scene as a result of the accident. The two drivers were both taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash.
The Winston Salem Police Department’s Traffic Reconstruction Unit investigated the crash.
According to a press release from the Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office, at the time of the crash, Moore was traveling between 61 and 73 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone. He was also towing a motorcycle at the time of the collision.
During the search of Moore’s car, officers found three unidentified pills in a plastic bag. Forensic analysis of the pills showed they were benzodiazepine, hydrocodone, and an amphetamine pill. According to law enforcement, they were not from a legal prescription.
The attorney’s office stated that Moore’s claims of medical distress were not supported by the evidence. Instead, the evidence showed that at the time of the crash, Moore had benzodiazepines, hydrocodone, and amphetamines in his system. The treating doctor concluded that Moore did not have any medical conditions that would have caused or contributed to the crash.
According to the press release from the Forsyth County District Attorney’s office, during the trial the doctor’s opinion was that Moore was impaired by narcotics. The officers at the scene of the accident also observed that Moore had constricted pupils, slurred speech, droopy eyelids, difficulty in understanding instructions and exhibited slow reflexes.
Expert testimony at trial concluded the effects of all three drugs impaired Moore’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle on the date of the collision. Moore’s statements to officers were not consistent with the physical evidence. Moore continued to fall asleep as an officer attempted to administer a standardized field sobriety test to him that day.
Moore failed to appear for the last four days of the jury trial. The judge, Honorable Stanley Allen, issued an order for the defendant’s arrest. Moore will be sentenced when he is apprehended and returned to court.
Hinson was an assistant principal at Lexington Senior High School for five years before her death in 2020.
She was a 2002 graduate of Lexington Senior High School. Hinson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in management and society from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in school administration from Western Carolina University. Before joining Lexington City Schools, Hinson was an EC teacher at Stokes and Guilford county school systems.
Assistant District Attorneys Matthew H. Breeding and Aaron Berlin prosecuted the case for the State of North Carolina and Mr. James E. Quander represented the defendant.
Hinson’s father stated while the conviction closed a chapter in their book, nothing will bring their daughter back to them.
"We are thankful for Mr. Breeding and Mr. Berlin, the legal assistants and staff who helped bring justice for Holly,” Hinson’s father said.
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Winston-Salem man convicted of murder of Lexington High School Asst. Principal
