2 Dead After Catawba County Crash

Two people died and three others were injured in a car crash in Catawba County on Sunday.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the crash happened at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday on Startown Road, near Settlemyre Bridge Road.

Christopher Green, 27, of Newton, and Brian Lail, 30, of Hickory, were killed, troopers said.

Green, who was driving a pickup truck, crossed the center line and hit another pickup truck, which was towing a boat, troopers said. Two people, one of which was Lail, were riding in the bed of Green's truck and were ejected, according to troopers.

Police said there was also a stolen moped belonging to Benjamin Tillman in the bed of Green's truck. It was stolen two miles from the crash scene, according to police.

Tillman said when the moped was stolen, he heard noise outside of his apartment. A friend of his chased after the men who had the moped, Tillman said, but couldn’t keep up once Green's pickup truck started passing cars.

“I pray for the families who lost their loved ones,” Tillman said “I kind of wanted the guys to get in a little bit of trouble, but I didn't want anybody to lose their life, especially not that way.”

Two people were riding in the boat that was being towed by the second pickup truck, troopers said. Both were injured in the crash. The driver of the second pickup truck was also injured.

“It's just kind of, like, a waste -- $200 moped and we got all this, and two lives (lost) and my brother-in-law laid up in the hospital,” said Mike Tibbs, the brother-in-law of the man driving the second pickup truck.

Troopers and the Catawba County Sheriff's Office are continuing to investigate the crash.