Man sentenced after hitting pedestrian, then moving body, investigators say

AND IT’S TIME FOR NEWS TO GO. WE HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY’S TOP NEWS STORIES. TRAFFIC AND WEATHER ALL BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW SEVERAL BREAKING NEWS STORIES THIS MORNING. OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, DC FIRE AND EMS, SUPPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS FROM ACROSS THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN REGION, ARE EXECUTING A RESCUE OPERATION IN THE POTOMAC RIVER. THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY AND VERY DARK AND COLD CONDITIONS. COLD WATER. AND YOU’RE LOOKING LIVE AT THAT SCENE RIGHT NOW IN WASHINGTON, DC AS FIRST RESPONDERS CONTINUE TO WORK THAT SITE, THE POTOMAC RIVER, AS THOSE TWO AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE RIVER, SEVERAL PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT PARTICULARLY IN WICHITA AND KANSAS, WONDERING THE STATUS OF THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR LOVED ONES THAT WERE ON THAT PLANE. MORGAN MOBLEY HAS OUR REPORT FROM KANSAS. I’M HERE AT THE DWIGHT D EISENHOWER AIRPORT IN WICHITA. THIS IS WHERE THE PLANE TOOK OFF, HEADED FOR DC YESTERDAY EVENING. IT MAY LOOK LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL BEHIND ME, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THERE’S A REALLY SOMBER FEELING HERE TODAY THAT YOU CAN ONLY GATHER BY BEING HERE. BOOTS ON THE GROUND OVERNIGHT, A RUSSIAN STATE MEDIA OUTLET REPORTED THAT TWO WORLD CHAMPION FIGURE SKATERS WERE ON BOARD THIS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT OUT OF WICHITA. THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING ORGANIZATION PROVIDED THIS STATEMENT, SAYING, QUOTE, U.S. FIGURE SKATING CAN CONFIRM SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR SKATING COMMUNITY WERE SADLY ABOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 5342, WHICH COLLIDED WITH A HELICOPTER YESTERDAY EVENING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THESE ATHLETES, COACHES AND FAMILY MEMBERS WERE RETURNING HOME FROM THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAMP HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN WICHITA, KANSAS. WE ARE DEVASTATED BY THIS UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY AND HOLD THE VICTIMS FAMILIES CLOSELY IN OUR HEARTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND WILL RELEASE MORE INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. A LOCAL PASTOR FROM THE CHAPEL HILL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HERE IN WICHITA SHARES THIS SENTIMENT WITH A GRIEVING COMMUNITY. ALL OF US ARE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE WHO KNOW PEOPLE, SO IT’S A GREAT TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN ON CARING FOR EACH OTHER, UPHOLDING EACH OTHER, HOLDING HANDS MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN WE USED TO, AND CONTINUING TO PRAY AND DEPEND ON THE LORD. IN THIS TIME. WE ARE AWARE OF A COUPLE PLANS THE CITY HAS FOR TODAY. THERE WILL BE AN UPDATE IN A NEWS CONFERENCE. THERE WILL ALSO BE A PRAYER VIGIL HELD AT CITY HALL IN WICHITA. I’M MORGAN MOBLEY. WE’RE ALSO CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS BREAKING NEWS STORY ON AIR AND ONLINE. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW ON WYFF4.COM. TURNING NOW TO BREAKING NEWS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE CREWS ARE WORKING TO CONTAIN THREE FIRES. AND THAT’S WHERE WE FIND OUR ISABELLE MARAK THIS MORNING. ISABEL, WHERE EXACTLY ARE THESE FIRES LOCATED? HEY, ERIN, WE’RE OFF OF CHERRY SPRINGS ROAD RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN SEE IT’S STILL KIND OF SLOWLY BURNING HERE BEHIND ME. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OUT OF THREE FIRES. LIKE YOU MENTIONED. THE FIRST FIRE WAS REPORTED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ON BAT CAVE ROAD, A FEW MILES FROM OLD FORT. THE SECOND FIRE IS ALONG WATSON PLACE OFF OF HIGHWAY 221 NEAR MARION. OFFICIALS SAY A THIRD FIRE IS ALSO BURNING ON AMERICAN THREAD ROAD, NEAR THE WOODLAWN COMMUNITY. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE FIRE STARTED WHEN A TREE FELL ON SOME POWER LINES, CREATING A SPARK. NOW, IT’S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT NOBODY IS HURT, ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS. AT THIS MOMENT. BUT ONE FIRE OR ONE HOUSE RATHER WAS HAS SOME DESTROYED. AND THEN A COUPLE OUTHOUSES HAVE ALSO BEEN HURT AS WELL. NOW THE FIRE SPREAD TO A TOTAL OF 250 ACRES, AND IT’S CURRENTLY 15% CONTAINED. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THEY’RE WORKING ON TRYING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THOSE NUMBERS, AND THEY’RE SAYING THAT THE NEXT UPDATE FOR EVACUATIONS, AS WELL AS THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH THESE FIRES, WILL COME AT 8 A.M. THIS MORNING, BUT FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE IN MCDOWELL COUNTY. ISABELLE MARAK WYFF NEWS FOUR ISABELLE. THANK YOU. NEW. THIS MORNING, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT COULD BE A MAJOR WIN FOR SCHOOL CHOICE. IT CALLS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ISSUE GUIDANCE ON USING FEDERAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT ALSO ORDERS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO ISSUE GUIDANCE ON STATES USING HHS FUNDS FOR PRIVATE OR FAITH BASED SCHOOLS. SEVERAL STATES ARE ALREADY USING PUBLIC MONEY TO FUND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, ALLOWING FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS TO GO TO SCHOOL. CHOICE COULD SUPERCHARGE THE MOVEMENT, BUT CRITICS SAY IT COMES AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN ANDERSON COUNTY, DEPUTIES SAY A MAN AND HIS TWO SONS WHO WERE REPORTED MISSING HAVE BEEN FOUND SAFE. WE’RE TOLD JAMES BREWINGTON AND HIS SONS, JEDIDIAH AND MARTIN, WERE FOUND SAFE IN KEMP, TEXAS, JUST OUTSIDE OF DALLAS. THEY WERE REPORTED MISSING ON TUESDAY MORNING. DEPUTIES SAY THEY LEARNED BREWINGTON HAS TIES TO TEXAS, AND HE’S FACING TWO COUNTS OF CUSTODIAL INTERFERENCE AND WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA. IT’S 650 IN THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD HAS DECIDED TO HOLD INTEREST RATES STEADY AND ASSIGN. THE BOARD COULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT INFLATION. LAST YEAR, THE FED CUT ITS BENCHMARK RATE THREE TIMES IN A ROW, ABOUT A FULL POINT. BUT THE DECISION TO PAUSE RATES CUTS COME AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM HE WOULD DEMAND INTEREST RATES DROP IMMEDIATELY. CHANCES ARE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS DEALING WITH A RESPIRATORY VIRUS RIGHT NOW FLU, COVID OR RSV, THEY’RE ALL PART OF WHAT SOME CALL SICK SEASON. AND IF YOU DIDN’T GET VACCINATED, DOCTORS WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE ARE ANTIVIRALS AVAILABLE THAT COULD HELP EASE THE SYMPTOMS AND KEEP YOU FROM COMPLICATIONS. THE MEDICINES AVAILABLE FOR FLU OR COVID HAVE TO BE TAKEN WITHIN DAYS OF YOUR FIRST SYMPTOMS, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK AHEAD AND REBALANCING. EXACTLY. SO IF YOU’RE SOMEBODY THAT’S HIGH RISK AND YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU’RE HIGH RISK AND YOU TEST YOURSELF AT HOME OR AT AN URGENT CARE CENTER OR WHEREVER, AND YOU’RE DIAGNOSED WITH INFLUENZA OR COVID, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT AN ANTIVIRAL. HEALTH EXPERTS SAY NOT TO HESITATE TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR AN ANTIVIRAL IF HE OR SHE DOESN’T SUGGEST IT. ANTIVIRALS CAN BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS LIKE DIABETES OR LUNG PROBLEMS, WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS FROM FLU, RSV OR COVID. OKAY, IT’S GOING TO BE CLOUDY AND COOLER TODAY, BUT WINDS WILL BE CALM. SO SOME GOOD NEWS THERE. IT’S COLD IN CULLOWHEE AND PICKENS. LOOK AT THAT. 3435 DEGREES RUTHERFORDTON. GOOD MORNING TO YOU ASHEVILLE GREENVILLE A LITTLE BIT WARMER. WE’RE IN THE 40S RIGHT NOW. HOW ABOUT THAT FEW HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS BEGINNING TO MOVE IN. BUT MORE CLOUDS ARE ON THE WAY. AND EVENTUALLY SOME OF THOSE ISOLATED SHOWERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. FOR SOME OF US, MOST OF US WILL BE JUST CLOUDY AND COLDER. DAYTIME HIGHS TODAY WILL TOP OUT NEAR 60 DEGREES. LUNCHTIME. MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY. WE’LL TOP OUT IN THE MID 50S FOR DAYTIME HIGHS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. I AM EXPECTING SOME RAIN, SOME WIDESPREAD RAIN TOMORROW AND SOME GUSTY WINDS AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR FOUR DAY PLUS WITH YOUR ENTIRE WEEKEND AND MORE COMING UP HERE IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE. BUT FIRST, LET’S GET YOU OUTSIDE AND GET A CHECK ON THOSE ROADS. HOW IS IT LOOKING OUT THERE? YEAH, WE’RE STILL FOLLOWING THAT BREAKING TRAFFIC NEWS AT 652. THIS IS SKY4 AT I-85 SOUTH AT EXIT 87, GREEN RIVER ROAD. ALL LANES BLOCKED SOUTHBOUND ON 85 DUE TO THAT CRASH. WE HAVE OUR JARED MCDARIS WITH US RIGHT NOW ON THE PHONE. WHO’S UP IN SKY4 RIGHT NOW? JARED, I BELIEVE I SAW SOME OF THE WRECKAGE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO BEING TOWED AWAY. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SCENE? YEAH. AARON, A FEW MINUTES AGO, THEY WERE TOWING SOME OF THE WRECKAGE UP THE ON RAMP OF 85 HERE. THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE SEEN THEM PUT SOME CONES OUT HERE IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES. SO WE DO THINK THEY ARE ABOUT TO OPEN ONE LANE AS THEY CONTINUE TO CLEAR WHAT WAS A TRACTOR TRAILER FIRE OVERNIGHT HERE ON THE 85 SOUTHBOUND. AND AS WE’VE BEEN REPORTING, THIS HAS BEEN ABOUT A TWO MILE BACKUP SO FAR. NOT QUITE TO EXIT 90, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN EXITS THERE IN GAFFNEY. SO IF YOU’RE HEADING THIS WAY, PACK A LITTLE EXTRA PATIENCE. LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE PUT SOME CONES OUT, HOPING TO OPEN UP ONE LANE SOUTHBOUND 85 HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. AS RUSH HOUR IS APPROACHING. AND THEY ARE DOING THAT NOW AS THEY ARE MOVING SOME OF THESE TRUCKS OVER. SO WE SHOULD SEE TRAFFIC BEGIN TO FLOW SOUTHBOUND IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES. BUT AGAIN, IT’S STILL GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO FUNNEL A LOT OF THIS TRAFFIC OUT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DIVERTED TO BACK ROADS HERE IN CHEROKEE COUNTY THIS MORNING. LIVE IN SKY4 JEREMY GARRIS, WYFF NEWS FOUR. JARED, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AS JARED AND I WERE TALKING, ONE OF THE COMMERCIAL BREAKS, WE KNOW IT’S BACKED UP TO ABOUT EXIT 90. SO SEVERAL MILES THERE. SO IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME FOR THAT TRAFFIC TO GO THROUGH. WE’RE SEEING BACKUPS ON 85 SOUTHBOUND AS WELL, FURTHER DOWN FROM AIRPORT TO WOODRUFF ROAD. IT’S UP JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. AT EIGHT MINUTES. THE OTHER TWO LOOK GOOD THOUGH. 26 EASTBOUND I-240 TO ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY, HOLDING STEADY AT 12 AND 13 FAIRVIEW ROAD IN DOWNTOWN. WE’RE ALSO CONTINUING OUR BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE THIS MORNING. THAT MASSIVE SEARCH OPERATION STILL UNDERWAY IN WASHINGTON,

North Carolina man sentenced after hitting pedestrian, then moving body, investigators say

Updated: 10:22 AM EST Jan 30, 2025

A Henderson County, North Carolina, man is headed to prison after he kept driving after hitting a pedestrian who landed on the hood of his truck.On Jan. 27, 2025, Jason Ryan Blackwell, 47, pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntary manslaughter, Andrew Murray, District Attorney for Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties said. According to the investigation, on Oct. 30, 2023, Blackwell was driving a large pickup truck and hit a pedestrian while traveling off the road and onto the grass on the side of U.S. 176 in Flat Rock, North Carolina. More news: LIVE COVERAGE: Officials believe there are no survivors after passenger jet, Army helicopter collideThe investigation revealed that the impact caused the victim to fly up onto the hood of the truck. After impact, Blackwell drove back onto the roadway, where the victim fell off the truck, according to investigators. They said the injuries to the victim were extensive, with significant trauma to the torso and head. Blackwell then stopped his vehicle. More news: One dead in tractor-trailer crash on I-85, coroner saysInvestigators said the trooper who responded to the scene believes Blackwell pulled the victim from the road onto the grass by the roadside and then left.Law enforcement searched for the defendant for several hours. When they found and arrested Blackwell, he made statements indicating that he had hit someone, according to investigators. More news: Bananas make history, sell out 81,000-seat Memorial Stadium at ClemsonBased on his slurred speech, erratic behavior, and extreme drowsiness, law enforcement formed the opinion that he was impaired at the time of his arrest. The blood work from the laboratory analysis showed the presence of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC (Marijuana). A judge sentenced the defendant to a minimum term of 100 months and a maximum term of 132 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.

HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. —

A Henderson County, North Carolina, man is headed to prison after he kept driving after hitting a pedestrian who landed on the hood of his truck.

On Jan. 27, 2025, Jason Ryan Blackwell, 47, pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntary manslaughter, Andrew Murray, District Attorney for Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties said.

According to the investigation, on Oct. 30, 2023, Blackwell was driving a large pickup truck and hit a pedestrian while traveling off the road and onto the grass on the side of U.S. 176 in Flat Rock, North Carolina.

More news: LIVE COVERAGE: Officials believe there are no survivors after passenger jet, Army helicopter collide

The investigation revealed that the impact caused the victim to fly up onto the hood of the truck.

After impact, Blackwell drove back onto the roadway, where the victim fell off the truck, according to investigators.

They said the injuries to the victim were extensive, with significant trauma to the torso and head. Blackwell then stopped his vehicle.

More news: One dead in tractor-trailer crash on I-85, coroner says

Investigators said the trooper who responded to the scene believes Blackwell pulled the victim from the road onto the grass by the roadside and then left.

Law enforcement searched for the defendant for several hours.

When they found and arrested Blackwell, he made statements indicating that he had hit someone, according to investigators.

More news: Bananas make history, sell out 81,000-seat Memorial Stadium at Clemson

Based on his slurred speech, erratic behavior, and extreme drowsiness, law enforcement formed the opinion that he was impaired at the time of his arrest.

The blood work from the laboratory analysis showed the presence of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC (Marijuana).

A judge sentenced the defendant to a minimum term of 100 months and a maximum term of 132 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.