Background: News footage of the scene in Holly Springs, N.C., where Max Dunham was killed on Oct. 26 (WTVD). Inset (left): Max Dunham (Dignity Memorial). Inset (right): Ashton Rahlfs (Wake County Sheriff’s Office).
A teenager from North Carolina is now facing murder charges following allegations of reckless and careless driving that resulted in the tragic death of another young teenager on a bicycle. The incident, which occurred on October 26, has left the community in shock.
Initially, 16-year-old Ashton Rahlfs was charged with driving under the influence and underage alcohol consumption after the fatal event that claimed the life of 14-year-old Max Dunham. Another victim, 20-year-old Brandon Russell, sustained serious injuries. As the investigation progressed over the past month, Rahlfs was further indicted on charges of second-degree murder, vehicular homicide, and causing serious injury by vehicle.
Authorities report that Rahlfs was driving with just a learner’s permit and was neither licensed nor sober at the time of the crash. It was determined that he was speeding when the collisions occurred.
According to the Holly Springs Police Department, Rahlfs was operating a Honda Passport SUV around 1:40 a.m. when he struck Dunham, who was riding his bicycle. Following this initial impact, Rahlfs continued to drive, crossing the road and crashing head-on into Russell’s Honda Civic. Russell, trapped inside his vehicle, was eventually rescued by firefighters but remains hospitalized with severe injuries. Unfortunately, Dunham succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
In the aftermath of the crash, local resident Lynwood Montague, who lives near where the incident took place, recounted the harrowing experience to ABC affiliate WTVD. He described hearing a “loud crash” while watching TV and rushed outside, only to be met with distressing screams. “I got up, went outside and was looking around, and all of a sudden I heard the worst screaming I have ever heard, and moaning. And I just knew it was bad,” Montague shared.
Documents obtained by NBC affiliate WRAL reveal that two other teenagers were in the SUV with Rahlfs at the time of the crash. Police discovered numerous opened and unopened cans of Twisted Tea in the vehicle. Rahlfs’ blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.11, and he had been driving at more than double the posted speed limit of 35 mph.
Police said that Rahlfs was “driving carelessly and recklessly for a significant time before the crash.”
Rahlfs was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, death by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under the age of 21, violating the terms of his permit, and other misdemeanor charges in connection with the crash. He remains in custody at Wake County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 1.
