Car Kills Patrick Allen Turner, Injures 20 Cyclists

A morning bike ride along a wooded Wake County route turned into a mass casualty incident on Saturday when a car crossed the centerline and plowed into a large group of cyclists, killing one rider and injuring 20 others near Holly Springs.

Crash Along Optimist Farm Road

The collision occurred just before 9:40 a.m. along a winding stretch of Optimist Farm Road near Talicud Trail. State troopers reported that about 30 members of the Capital Cycling Club were riding west when an oncoming black Infiniti car veered across the center line and struck them.

Emergency responders arrived to find a chaotic scene just south of the NC 540 toll highway. Broadcastify radio traffic from the initial response described A vehicle just hit 15 to 20 pedestrians. Vehicle was a small black Infiniti … the driver is currently out, stumbling around at this time, according to reporting from first-responder channels. Authorities said the driver kept going after hitting the group, eventually running off the left side of the roadway and landing in a ditch about a half-mile away.

Casualties and Emergency Response

The impact killed 63-year-old Patrick Allen Turner of Cary at the scene. Holly Springs Fire Chief LeRoy Smith detailed the extent of the injuries to emergency crews and reporters, noting that seven cyclists sustained severe trauma and were rushed to regional trauma centers. Another 13 riders with minor injuries were transported from the area aboard a Wake County EMS bus.

Arrest warrants filed in the case described injuries including a leg injury, injury to ribs, and a cut arm. Bikes from the ride were later found stacked against a roadside guardrail as investigators processed the two-lane route, which runs through residential and wooded areas southwest of Raleigh.

Charges Against Donald Robert Morris-Jones

The driver of the Infiniti, 76-year-old Donald Robert Morris-Jones of Apex, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Wake County Detention Center under a $1 million secured bond. State Highway Patrol troopers and court records show he faces a heavy stack of felony charges.

The charges against Morris-Jones include:

• One count of felony death by vehicle
• Seven counts of felony serious injury by vehicle
• Eight counts of felony hit-and-run involving serious injury or death
• One count of driving while impaired
• Reckless driving
• Driving left of center

Court documents indicate that while Morris-Jones has no prior criminal record, state authorities consider him an overwhelming danger to society. He is scheduled to appear in a Wake County courtroom.

Cyclists Feel Vulnerable Following the Crash

The crash stunned cyclists across the region. Shaun King, board chair of Bike Durham, described the anxiety rippling through local riding groups who frequently share rural roads with motorists.

Shaun King said that when his wife started to receive messages asking if he was okay or hurt, he scrambled to figure out what was happening. King added that cyclists feel very vulnerable in this moment because the harm that the Capital Cycling Club community members are feeling could have happened to any of them.

King noted that the Capital Cycling Club routinely rides in a tight two-line formation specifically designed to keep riders compact so cars can pass quickly. Following the tragedy, cycling advocates called for expanded infrastructure improvements, including better roadside signage warning motorists of blind curves and public education campaigns emphasizing shared roadways.

Local residents living near the crash site also expressed dismay over the afternoon events. Bob Schroder, who lives near Optimist Farm Road and previously cycled himself, told reporters that the incident was deeply troubling.

State troopers stated that the investigation remains active as authorities compile final crash reports. Optimist Farm Road reopened to traffic later Saturday afternoon.