Victims Mourned As Deadly Crash Investigation Continues

Officers seized a second vehicle that was involved in a street race that caused a triple-fatal crash, and police said they know who was behind the wheel.

Officers said they found the black 2000 Chevrolet Camaro at a house on Chalet Court off Highway 274 in Lake Wylie, but they are not releasing any details about the driver. Investigators and officials with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office said they are spending the day looking into what charges that driver could face.

Officials with the district attorney’s office said they hope to make a determination on charges soon.

Investigators said they were able to find the car and the driver after a girl who was in the Camaro returned to the crash scene late Saturday and gave officers a statement.

Police said three females were in the Camaro as it allegedly raced a 2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse late Saturday on N.C. Highway 49/York Road in southwest Charlotte. Witnesses said the occupants of both cars knew each other.

The Eclipse, driven by 20-year-old Tyler Stasko, slammed into a Mercedes pulling out of the Riverpointe neighborhood at about 6:45 p.m. Witnesses told police the people in the Camaro got out, looked at the damage and then drove away from the scene.

The driver of the Mercedes, 45-year-old Cynthia Furr, and her 2-year-old daughter, McAllister Price, died shortly after the crash. The three occupants of the Eclipse were all hospitalized. A 13-year-old passenger, Hunter Holt, died at the hospital Sunday afternoon.

Police said they don't know how fast Stasko was driving, but the impact rolled the Mercedes onto its hood. Neighbors said they've long complained about the intersection being dangerous, and the North Carolina and Charlotte departments of transportation determined almost a year ago that a signal should be installed there because of safety concerns. DOT officials said they are waiting for a check from the neighborhood developer to begin installation.

Stasko remains hospitalized with broken bones. He faces three counts of second-degree murder. Police said he will be officially charged after he is released from the hospital.

A second passenger in his car, 11-year-old Rex Thomas, is in good condition at Carolinas Medical Center.

Witnesses Shocked By Violent Crash, Camaro Leaving

Tonda Helms and her two children saw the end of the crash.

“Her car was flipping,” Helms said.

She said she was at the intersection of Shopton and York roads when she saw the Eclipse and Camaro start racing. Moments after the cars were out of site, Helms and her children drove upon the crash scene.

They ran toward the Eclipse, where they found one passenger lying on the ground. Helms’ son, James Prather, said two teens and an older woman got out of the Camaro, looked at the scene and simply drove away.

“I looked back and they were gone. All I saw was the end of the Camaro going down that way,” he said.

Prather called the act heartless.

“I don’t even understand how you could leave that. They were half the reason this all happened,” he said.

Helms said after talking to the driver, Stasko, she noticed another child in the back seat. She was surprised to see it was Holt, a family friend.

Helms called Holt’s mother, who rushed to the scene.

“She said, ‘Hunter, I love you,’ and he said, ‘I love you, too, Mom,’ and they put him in the ambulance,” she said.

Clover School Mourns Teen Killed In Crash

Word spread quickly among Holt’s peers that the teen died at the hospital Sunday.

Holt was an eighth-grader at Clover Junior High School. The halls of the school were quieter than usual Monday, and even somber, students told Eyewitness News.

"It was quiet, and in the cafeteria people are usually talking," said seventh-grader Matt Smith.

Monday morning, Principal Mark Hopkins made an announcement about the death of Holt, but he said it seemed everyone already knew.

"News travels very fast here," Hopkins said.

A team of crisis counselors from across the Clover school district was on campus to deal with grieving and hurting students.

"We wanted this to be as normal a day as possible, but we've got to be flexible to meet those needs throughout the day," Hopkins said.

Hopkins, in a white shirt and lime green tie, was one of hundreds of people dressed to remember Holt. White, green and purple were the teen’s favorite colors.

"I got a text message from a friend to wear white for Hunter," said seventh-grader Christopher Davidson. "I did it to show my support.”

School officials worked to keep students focused on their studies, which they said is hard enough during a short week. Classes in Clover end Thursday when students will go on spring break for the next week.

Hopkins called Holt the kind of student every teacher would want.

"As principal, I got to know students for a lot of reasons -- some not so good. I knew Hunter for all the right reasons," he said.

School district officials said absences were high Monday as some students came to class and then went home. Many of them became too upset after talking with their friends about the weekend tragedy.

Holt’s father told Eyewitness News that his son was getting a ride home from Carowinds, and his parents thought a responsible adult was driving the car.