Student driver, sister, instructor hurt when rear-ended at intersection; man charged

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A Hickory man is accused of driving drunk when police say he rear-ended a Catawba County Schools Driver’s Education car with a teenager behind the wheel.

The crash happened last Wednesday near W. 7th Street and Northwest Boulevard in Newton and it involved a total of six vehicles.

Police said a teenage student driver, her twin sister and their driving instructor were stuck from behind by another driver as they slowed for a red light along Northwest Boulevard.

From Chopper 9 Skyzoom, dozens of emergency vehicles could be seen at the crash scene.

Eyewitnesses told Channel 9 that first responders had to cut the roof off the car to get the sisters and their instructor out.

“They had to get the doors out and they had to get the roof off to get to the little girls, and then it took them a while to get them out,” said one witness. “I still wouldn’t be driving if that had happened to me.”

Newton police said a Cadillac driven by Wenfred Alan Hooper, 29, of Hickory, slammed into the back of the Driver’s Ed car, which had slowed for traffic and a red light at the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and 7th Street.

The collision set off a chain reaction, which involved six vehicles.

Investigators said the Cadillac was speeding and they did not find any skid marks before it crashed into the back of the other car. Last Thursday, detectives executed a search warrant on the Cadillac.

Hooper was believed to be speeding and impaired, police said.

Throughout the investigation, police also learned Hooper tried to leave the scene by trying to steal another vehicle from the crash scene.

The student driver was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with serious injuries and has since been released.

The driver’s education instructor, Craig Meadows, 48, was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with serious injuries and was transferred to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem by ambulance.

Meadows was listed in serious condition. He has since been released and is recovering at home.

The rear-seat passenger, who is the twin sister of the student driver, was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with serious injuries. She was then flown to Wake Forest Baptist Health Brenner’s Children Hospital in Winston-Salem where she was listed in critical condition. As of Tuesday morning, she was still in the hospital with serious injuries to her face and hip.

Debra Young, 50 of Newton, was the driver of a 2007 Honda van. Young was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries and was released.

Three other people were involved in the crash and were not injured.

Hooper was taken to Catawba Valley Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He was later released and arrested.

Hooper is charged with careless and reckless driving, breaking and entering motor vehicle and driving while impaired.

Hooper had his first court appearance on Tuesday, and several family members of the student driver and her twin sister showed up in court, including the student driver who is out of the hospital.

“It’s not fair. They’re innocent, learning to drive and it’s not fair for someone to be out drinking and driving,” grandmother Carol Herman said. “I want justice.”

Hooper is being held at the Catawba County Detention Center under a $2,000,000 secured bond.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.

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