Caldwell County man charged with murder after fatal crash; impairment a factor

LENOIR, N.C. — A 22-year-old Caldwell County man is facing murder charges after crashing into a tree and killing a passenger in September.

Police say the crash happened around 11:00 p.m. on Sept. 13 on Seehorn Street in Lenoir.

Officials say Joshua James Thomas Swanson was driving recklessly when his Ford Mustang left the roadway and hit a tree, killing 21-year-old Mykola Olgevich Zhurbikov, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

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Police say Swanson was impaired at the time of the crash.

Zhurbikov was airlifted to Atrium Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte but succumbed to his injuries three days after the crash. Swanson was treated and released from the hospital, while a third passenger, Petya Filippovych, was treated and released at the scene.

Police arrested Swanson Thursday and charged him with second-degree murder. He is currently being held without bond at the Caldwell County Detention Center.

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