Driver trying to pass cars charged in head-on crash that killed his wife, NC cops say
A driver trying to pass cars is charged in a head-on crash that killed his wife, North Carolina officials said.
Brandon Privett was behind the wheel of a Kia when state troopers said he drove about 80 mph on a Haywood County highway. He attempted to cross the double yellow line before hitting a Subaru head-on, 1st Sgt. B.E. Hipp of the N.C. State Highway Patrol told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
The Thanksgiving Day crash killed the driver’s wife, a Kia passenger identified as Amethyst Privett of Canton. The 36-year-old mother is remembered as a “beautiful soul” who brought joy to others.
“You always made everyone smile and laugh, you were the light to alot of peoples darkness and you had no clue,” Facebook user Jessica Barrett wrote. “You had a determination that when you put your mind to it nothing could stop you. You left an imprint on alot of people, and we will keep your memory shining!!”
News outlets didn’t list attorney information for Brandon Privett, who has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. He was taken to a hospital after the crash but hadn’t been arrested as of Dec. 3, Hipp said.
Amethyst Privett died at the scene of the crash, which was reported just before 2 p.m. Nov. 28. It happened along N.C. Highway 110 in the Canton area, a roughly 20-mile drive southwest from the mountain town of Asheville, Hipp and Sgt. Brandon Miller told McClatchy News in phone interviews.
After the crash, the Subaru driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Brandon Privett and the couple’s two children, who also were riding in the Kia, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to troopers and The Mountaineer.
“It adds to it because you realize that someone has lost someone on a holiday,” Trooper Jonathan Shelton told The Mountaineer. “Thankfully, the two kids weren’t injured any more than they were.”
Brandon Privett is accused of speeding on the highway, and Hipp said troopers are still determining how fast he had been driving.
Highway patrol didn’t immediately share additional information about the crash with McClatchy News on Dec. 3. McClatchy News also has reached out to Barrett and is awaiting a response.
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Driver trying to pass cars charged in head-on crash that killed his wife, NC cops say."
