I just watched this segment and wonder if there have been any arrests in this case.
some people are just so evil!

Last I heard, there weren't any. One of the survivors posted here a couple years ago to say he was doing well and there was no progress on the case. Also, someone posted here a long time ago saying they had a lead in the case and wanted to contact law enforcement. I don't think that went anywhere.

Can you give a quick recap? I don't remember this case.

A car full of black males appeared to be run off the road on purpose. The driver of the unknown car was described as sort of scuzzy and he seemed to be happy with himself after the accident as he fled so the police think it was racially motivated. One man in the targeted car died and I believe at least one of the others was seriously injured.

I was thinking this was Virginia and not North Carolina?

I was thinking this was Virginia and not North Carolina?

Pretty sure it was NC.

A while back I was doing research into this case and was stumbling as to where it actually took place. I wrote the local authorities and here is what I got back:

This incident was not investigated by Greensboro Police Department. We cannot remember the exact location but believe it was between the cities of Durham and Burlington North Carolina.
Lois G Courmon
Greensboro Police Department

Christmas season, Dec 23, 1988, occurred "near" Greensboro, North Carolina but not Greensboro. Suburban neighborhood. Ken Dungee, Lavern Allen III, Darius Bannerman

AMPUTEE MOVES ON WITH HIS LIFE
Greensboro News & Record - December 23, 1993

Five years ago today, a fatal accident changed the course of a Greensboro teenager's life.

Levern Allen leads a busy life these days.

Between 20 hours of work each week at News and Novels Market Street bookstore and a full course load at Guilford Technical Community College, Allen interns at a local recording studio.

"I'm never here besides to sleep," the 22-year-old Smith High School graduate said Wednesday from the living room of his parents' Greensboro home.

Five years ago, the 6-foot-3-inch tall, 190-pound man didn't expect to still be living at home at age 22. By this time, he expected to be a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, well on his way to becoming an airline pilot, a dream he had held since the ninth grade.

But five years ago today, Allen's dream was shattered and his life was forever changed. On his way to Raleigh with three friends to Christmas shop at Crabtree Valley Mall, the car Allen was driving was rammed from behind. Traveling at speeds up to 60 mph, the Plymouth Duster Allen had borrowed from his parents careened down the embankment next to Interstate 40 near Durham. The car overturned, pinning Allen and 19-year-old Kenny Dungee inside.

Dungee was killed. Doctors amputated Allen's right leg, which was severed nearly to the bone during the crash. For three days after the accident, physicians furiously worked on the 17-year-old, who underwent three operations and was in critical condition at N.C. Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill.

He moved out of the hospital's intensive care unit on Christmas Day - 1988.

The driver of the blue Monte Carlo, who witnesses said intentionally forced Allen's car off the road, never was caught. It was a white man who Allen said tailgated him before ramming into him several times on busy I-40 on a clear Dec. 23 afternoon in 1988. Witnesses told investigators the man got out of his car after the crash and looked down the hill at Allen's wrecked automobile before driving away. Although the accident was featured on the nationally televised show "Unsolved Mysteries " in 1989, a suspect never was identified.

At the time, investigators said the accident appeared to be racially motivated. The man was white and the four teens were black. Today, Allen believes the investigators did little to find a suspect; they never even had a composite picture drawn from the teenagers' descriptions, he said. Efforts were unsuccessful Wednesday to reach the Highway Patrol investigators who worked the case.

"Yeah, I'm angry," Allen said Wednesday as he vividly recalled the details of the accident. "I'm angry because I wanted them to find him."

Allen spent a month after the accident in the Chapel Hill hospital. Doctors fitted him with an artificial leg, and he left the hospital on crutches in January. By April 1989, he was walking unassisted.

"I went to the prom and I didn't use a cane," he remembers.

He could walk unassisted and his mind was clear and sharp. For those things, Allen says he is grateful. But the accident still took away so much, he said, and it has taken awhile - and is still taking time - for him to adjust.

"I was so geared to go into the military," he said. "I was like an athlete ... that never thought about doing much besides playing ball.

"It was like, 'What do I do now?' "

The amputation meant a lot of physical changes for the physically active teenager. For the previous three summers he had lifeguarded at the Warnersville Recreational Center Pool. He helped out with the basketball. He hiked and swam. And he had been spending a lot of time getting in shape for the Air Force Academy.

"I wanted to be an airline pilot, and they said they took most people from military schools," Allen said. "I said that's the way to go."

He joined the Smith High School ROTC program. He made good grades. His upper body strength was improving.

The military demanded that he run fast, be strong. Before the accident, he was getting there, he said.

But after the accident, his physical capabilities became limited and military school was out of the question.

In August 1989, he entered Virginia Tech as a freshman. It was there that he first faced real obstacles because of the artificial limb. The constant walking from the dormitory to classes - which Allen said were across campus from each other - caused his prosthesis to rub against the top of his right leg, where it was attached.

"For the first few weeks I had blisters on my leg from walking," he said. "I had one instructor get on me for coming to class late. He didn't know I had an artificial leg."

One night that first semester, Allen was jolted awake by the fire alarm. Other students jumped from their beds and quickly filed out of the residence hall. Forgoing the time it would take to attach his leg, Allen left the dorm without it.

"I had to go down five flights of stairs on crutches," he said.

One year later, Allen left Virginia Tech. The physical strain - coupled with the mental strain of adjusting to college - was just too much for him, he says.

Living at home made things easier, but didn't eliminate the problems, he said.

For example, Allen has learned that it's difficult to walk on any surface that isn't clean and level. Gravel gives him trouble. And on his first trip to the beach after the amputation he found out he can't walk on soft sand.

Simple things pose problems, like going to Four Seasons Town Centre - where he's learned the floors are uneven - and visiting friends after dark.

"I try to avoid walking through people's yards at night," he said. "Everything looks level."

The summer heat only increases the problems. The artificial leg, which is attached to Allen's leg by suction, tends to loosen and start to fall off when he sweats. So he often has to stop to adjust it.

"I went to ... Atlanta in the summertime and I had to stop three times crossing the street," he said. "I heard someone say, 'what's wrong with him?' "

Allen still swims - he takes his artificial leg off - and he can drive a car, as long as it has an automatic transmission.

When he talks about the leg, he likes to talk about the things he still can do.

For the past two terms, Allen has maintained a solid B average and he hopes to complete an associate degree in electronics next summer. Then he wants to continue on to a four-year college to earn a degree in electrical engineering.

Someday, he hopes to design recording studios like the one he works in now.

Sometimes he sees Kenneth Newkirk and Darius Bannerman , the two other friends who survived the fatal crash. Both men now attend nearby colleges.

Occasionally, Allen says, he'll run into Kenny Dungee's brothers and sisters. This time of year, the memories of the accident are clear in his mind. But then again, he said, there are few days he isn't forced to remember that cold December day five years ago.

"I think about it a lot more often than people would think," he said. "There are a lot of things people take for granted."
Caption: COLOR PHOTO: Gerry Broome / News & Record Levern Allen reflects on an automobile accident five years ago that changed his life.

'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' GENERATES 300 CALLS
Greensboro News & Record - February 2, 1990
Authorities received nearly 300 calls after the airing of an ``Unsolved Mysteries'' segment involving a Durham hit-and-run accident that killed one Greensboro Smith High School student and maimed another.

``Some of them sounded really good to me,'' said David Rajter, administrator for ``Unsolved Mysteries'' Telecenter in Burbank, Calif. ``We've had 270 calls so far.''

The N.C. Highway Patrol, which investigated the incident in which four black teenagers were run off Interstate 40 by an unknown white man Dec. 23, 1988, reported about 30 calls to its office.

``I'm optimistic,'' said Sgt. R.W. Shepherd. ``But no call so far had an overbearing weight of evidence.''

The accident killed Kenneth Dungee, caused Levern Allen III to lose a leg and injured Kenneth Newkirk and Darius Bannerman.

this is one of those segments that makes one very ill.

dont ya just wanna lay some smackdown on that jabroni, give him some SLAPS to the face cuz he's not a man really just a punk!

dont ya just wanna lay some smackdown on that jabroni, give him some SLAPS to the face cuz he's not a man really just a punk!

That's alot of sly under the table references to wrestling don't ya think?

It was still unsolved as of 2005, when Darius himself stopped by after egoogling (googling one's own name).

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=130929&highlight=darius

I went to highschool with these guys. They were very good people. Just all around good! I never watched the unsolved mystery until today. 20 years later. I still miss Kenny!

Kenny was the first guy to tell me how beautiful my eyes were.LOL He was in the band with my sister and a very talented artist.
I remeber a chess set he made. It was soooooooooooooooo beautiful.

Wow it's sad how these guys ALL with promising futures had to endure such pain and hardships due to some ignorant fool.

Every year around Christmas I think about these guys! I just wrote on my facebook page the other day about how much I missed Kenny.

Yeah, it is obvious race was the motive here. For whatever reason this redneck punk decided to take his rage out on a group of young men. He was a very ugly guy so I am surprised he was never caught. I am sure the statute of limitations has long since expired on this case. However since he intentionally rammed the car and used it as a weapon, I am wondering if it would be possible to charge him with murder if the guy were found? I think he could be charged with 2nd degree murder as there is no statute of limitations on murder. The North Carolina Highway Patrol I believe investigated this case, not the local police departments.

This was premeditated murder, no question. Its going to be extremely hard for this case to be solved. I think the more likely scenario for it to be solved would be the guy to confess to one of his friends or something, and that guy turning him in.

I wonder If anyone else out there remembers this monte carlo later that day driving down the highway, or knows the people that were in it.

This was premeditated murder, no question. Its going to be extremely hard for this case to be solved. I think the more likely scenario for it to be solved would be the guy to confess to one of his friends or something, and that guy turning him in.

I wonder If anyone else out there remembers this monte carlo later that day driving down the highway, or knows the people that were in it.

Sadly, I fear the redneck's friends would probably be more likely to throw him a party then turn him in. I have no doubt that numerous people know exactly who is responsible for this crime, but in that circle, it's something to be celebrated; a modern technology lynching.

Sadly, I fear the redneck's friends would probably be more likely to throw him a party then turn him in. I have no doubt that numerous people know exactly who is responsible for this crime, but in that circle, it's something to be celebrated; a modern technology lynching.

I totally agree, unfortunately. Having once lived in North Carolina (and been to the Raleigh mall that they were heading to many times), I can say without a doubt that "a scuzzy looking redneck driving a beat up American made car" describes at least a fourth of the state, especially the rural areas. :( Not to trash NC, but there's still a lot of racist mentality left in the non-urban areas (not that there isn't such mentality in every state actually).

I am surprised that, given the IQ of most of these people, no one-either the driver or a friend- has blabbed or made a stupid enough mistake that led to an arrest.

Yeah, it is obvious race was the motive here. For whatever reason this redneck punk decided to take his rage out on a group of young men. He was a very ugly guy so I am surprised he was never caught. I am sure the statute of limitations has long since expired on this case. However since he intentionally rammed the car and used it as a weapon, I am wondering if it would be possible to charge him with murder if the guy were found? I think he could be charged with 2nd degree murder as there is no statute of limitations on murder. The North Carolina Highway Patrol I believe investigated this case, not the local police departments.


The statute of limitations does not expire on murder. I'm not sure this will ever be solved but one person did die in the crash

The statute of limitations does not expire on murder. I'm not sure this will ever be solved but one person did die in the crash

Murder is not necessarily what the individual who committed the crime could or will be charged with, however. Voluntary manslaughter is a more appropriate fit legally, although it somewhat possible, as kadrmas stated, that he could be charged with second degree murder.

Yes, that is why I was speculating on 2nd degree murder because the statute of limitations, well there is no statute of limitations on that. However I am not quite that familiar with North Carolina law. But my guess, if he had been arrested, he would have been charged with vehicular homicide. Now there have been instances in North Carolina where drivers have been charged with 2nd degree murder. If he was intending to run them off the road, which it appears he was, then it seems under North Carolina law that he could potentially be charged with 2nd degree murder.

Now, under North Carolina law, the sentencing guidelines are wide open on 2nd degree murder. Under North Carolina law, 2nd degree murder is a Class B2 felony, which is punishable by anywhere from 8 years in prison to a maximum penalty of 32 years, 8 months in prison. However there is talk that this will be changed to a B1 felony which in NC is punishable by anywhere from 12 years in prison to life without parole. However even if this guy was arrested and charged, he would be charged under the old laws. Or actually current laws, I am assuming 2nd degree murder was a B2 felony back then too but I could be mistaken?

I actually think, if the witnesses who appeared on the segment are still around, the ******* could be charged with 2nd or 1st degree murder. Premeditation would be harder to prove, but if several witnesses say they saw the car clearly driving out of control, repeatedly riding the bumper and ramming the side of the car, it can be argued that there was an intent to murder. I would have no doubt, esp. with the heinous nature of this tragedy, that the district attorney would do all it could to try this as a capital murder.

First degree would be harder to prove because you would have to prove that he planned to kill. While it is obvious that he intended to run the car off the road it would not be hard for a defense attorney to get technical and say that well yeah he intended to drive the car off the road but he was not planning to kill. Whereas with 2nd degree murder, if you can prove he intended to kill even if he did not really plan it, than you get a conviction. So under law, I would say 2nd degree murder would be the more realistic conviction by far. If the guy was charged with 1st degree, I would guess that 2nd degree murder would be included as a lesser included charge. I am not sure what the statute of limitations are in North Carolina, but I imagine the statute of limitations on attempted murder, aggravated assault, vehicular homicide etc have all long since run out. So yeah, 1st and 2nd degree murder are the only charges left.

Under North Carolina law, first degree murder is a Class A felony. Only possible punishments are death or LWOP.

However, he would have to be tried under laws in effect at the time of the crime. In North Carolina, parole eligibility was not abolished for first degree murder convictions until 1994. Thus under the old law, he would be eligible for parole after 7 years. Under the old laws, the only possible punishments were death or life with the possibility of parole after 7 years.

The individual that did this crime may be involved with white supremacist groups.
May even be a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

If so, there may be other things that can be charged federally...

First degree would be harder to prove because you would have to prove that he planned to kill. While it is obvious that he intended to run the car off the road it would not be hard for a defense attorney to get technical and say that well yeah he intended to drive the car off the road but he was not planning to kill. Whereas with 2nd degree murder, if you can prove he intended to kill even if he did not really plan it, than you get a conviction. So under law, I would say 2nd degree murder would be the more realistic conviction by far. If the guy was charged with 1st degree, I would guess that 2nd degree murder would be included as a lesser included charge. I am not sure what the statute of limitations are in North Carolina, but I imagine the statute of limitations on attempted murder, aggravated assault, vehicular homicide etc have all long since run out. So yeah, 1st and 2nd degree murder are the only charges left.

Yeah, I def. think 2nd degree murder would be easier to prove, but if there ever is a suspect that is brought to trial, my guess is that the jury will be asked to choose guilt based on both 2nd and 1st. Although "planning" will be difficult to prove, in this case, it's not that difficult, because the Supreme Court has ruled that simply having a weapon (such as a gun) is enough to prove planning because one knows that a gun will kill a person, and the planning doesn't have to have taken a long time before the murder.

If I was a prosecutor in this case, I'd argue that the person driving the car knew that slamming into a car at 60-70mph and trying to force it off the road would lead to the death of one or more of the car's occupants. Therefore, when he made the decision to do this, he had "planned" in advance to commit murder.

Yeah a very good chance it was racially motivated. It was either an intentionaly target of blacks, or the killers just picked a random car and they just happened to be black. I won't assume 100% it was racially charged, so I'll just stick to the fact that it was a murder regardless of WHY.

I just don't think this ever will be solved. Too much time has passed and memories fade away. Honestly what new leads could come up to implicate anyone? Nothing short of a confession to a family member would do anything and I can assume these scumbags won't come forward themselves. So sad, so needless

This wreck occurred in Chapel Hill on I-40 just east of the 15-501 exit. I am the reporter who was in this Unsolved Mystery case. I was on my way to Durham after work to go Christmas shopping when I saw the wreck on the highway below and stopped. That section of I-40 had just recently opened. Unsolved Mysteries filmed the segment on a section east of Chapel Hill that hadn't opened yet.
Periodicaly I see a N.C. Trooper who is the son of the trooper who investigated the case, and he tells me that the driver of the car that hit the young men has not been found.

This wreck occurred in Chapel Hill on I-40 just east of the 15-501 exit. I am the reporter who was in this Unsolved Mystery case. I was on my way to Durham after work to go Christmas shopping when I saw the wreck on the highway below and stopped. That section of I-40 had just recently opened. Unsolved Mysteries filmed the segment on a section east of Chapel Hill that hadn't opened yet.
Periodicaly I see a N.C. Trooper who is the son of the trooper who investigated the case, and he tells me that the driver of the car that hit the young men has not been found.
Thank you SO MUCH for the update, and please let us know if there is any news. This monster should be locked up for life.

I was watching this case the other day and reading this thread it made me think how in fiction and non-fiction one of the few advantages for cops in a cold cases have is time people change, relationships change and that how the case is going to be solved if it is going to be. The Guy driving the car was accompanied by a young girl it sound like a GF/Wife and she would know who the ugly guy was and chance are they either broke up or divorced if AMW or another show ran a segment today on this case I think by now someone a mother, brother,sister or friend have heard from the GF what happen and would call in and as foolish and wrong as it sounds people try to forget or move on from the terrible times in their lives but with shows like UM and AMW these people grow a conscience and report what they know to the police. I hope this happens it would be the best case sanario but it sound like the cops did not try hard enough not that we could ever know but it sounds like the victims think that.

I was watching this case the other day and reading this thread it made me think how in fiction and non-fiction one of the few advantages for cops in a cold cases have is time people change, relationships change and that how the case is going to be solved if it is going to be. The Guy driving the car was accompanied by a young girl it sound like a GF/Wife and she would know who the ugly guy was and chance are they either broke up or divorced if AMW or another show ran a segment today on this case I think by now someone a mother, brother,sister or friend have heard from the GF what happen and would call in and as foolish and wrong as it sounds people try to forget or move on from the terrible times in their lives but with shows like UM and AMW these people grow a conscience and report what they know to the police. I hope this happens it would be the best case sanario but it sound like the cops did not try hard enough not that we could ever know but it sounds like the victims think that.

You hit the nail right on the head. If there is any hope of solving this one, it lies with the female that was in the car with that piece of human waste that perpetrated this racially motivated crime.

I'm a fan of the tv series Dexter, and the redneck who did this ranks as one of the many individuals I'd like to see shrink wrapped to Dexter Morgan's table. :)

I actually think, if the witnesses who appeared on the segment are still around, the ******* could be charged with 2nd or 1st degree murder. Premeditation would be harder to prove, but if several witnesses say they saw the car clearly driving out of control, repeatedly riding the bumper and ramming the side of the car, it can be argued that there was an intent to murder. I would have no doubt, esp. with the heinous nature of this tragedy, that the district attorney would do all it could to try this as a capital murder.

I was just thinking this myself. Grady Alexander, the guy interviewed in the segment who was driving in the other lane was a young man when this case was first featured. Surely he is still around.

when i first saw the segment, someone on youtube was saying that maybe the boys did something that angered the driver.

as for me, that COULD be true, but i dont think that was it. i think the driver did seen the kids somehow, someway. saw them and made a BAD assumption that the boys were nothing but "young, black punks" and decided to teach them a lesson in a cruel way, so yes, i think the crime was racially motivated and i think he looked down on them.

and sadly, unless someone tells on him or they find some unknown evidence this guy will never likely be caught. catching hit and run criminals is usually tougher.

:(

this is one of those segments that makes one very ill.

Yep

Yes this case was very unfortunate and I believed racially motivated. I don't believe they will ever get the scum that did it. Only way he would get caught is the woman, she hasn't come forward by now. So I don't see it happening. But he and she will get it, Karma always come back around.

I wonder if they were run off of the road because of a drug debt that they didn't pay. Or maybe Rob Shafer was the culprit. Just kidding.

In all seriousness, the UM write up on this case has this line (and I think it was in the original segment too):

"Because of a lack of evidence, the police were reluctant to treat the incident as a crime."

What does this imply? They weren't looking for the driver because they didn't believe that he ran them off of the road?

In all seriousness, the UM write up on this case has this line (and I think it was in the original segment too):

"Because of a lack of evidence, the police were reluctant to treat the incident as a crime."

What does this imply? They weren't looking for the driver because they didn't believe that he ran them off of the road?

Perhaps the authorities operated under the assumption that the victim/witness statements alone wouldn't be enough to prove anything (seems absurd to me, but just throwing out ideas - wonder what kind of evidence one would look for and need in a case like this and how much of it too?) ??

Otherwise, I'd say it's pretty clear cut what that statement implies.

I wonder if they were run off of the road because of a drug debt that they didn't pay. Or maybe Rob Shafer was the culprit. Just kidding.

In all seriousness, the UM write up on this case has this line (and I think it was in the original segment too):

"Because of a lack of evidence, the police were reluctant to treat the incident as a crime."

What does this imply? They weren't looking for the driver because they didn't believe that he ran them off of the road?

I really don't want to seem like I'm victim blaming or downplaying the seriousness of what happened, but the bottom line is we really don't know the driver's intent.

I think the default assumption is that this was a race related hate crime because that is the way the segment painted it, but when you look at the known facts, there really is no way to prove intent here. Perhaps that is why the police were reluctant to view this as a crime.

My first reaction to that line is that the cops thought it sounded too difficult to investigate (and too unlikely to solve) and they didn't want to put it on the books as a crime for those reasons.

Or they could've been racist. Either way.

I really don't want to seem like I'm victim blaming or downplaying the seriousness of what happened, but the bottom line is we really don't know the driver's intent.

I think the default assumption is that this was a race related hate crime because that is the way the segment painted it, but when you look at the known facts, there really is no way to prove intent here. Perhaps that is why the police were reluctant to view this as a crime.

In the very limited articles I could find about this case, it appears like investigators were actively searching for the driver and were hopeful that UM would produce new leads. I know fleeing the scene of an accident isn't a serious crime in and of itself, but when there were multiple serious injuries (and a death!) I think that it would be taken very seriously.

I also wonder if this wasn't race related but rather a case of mistaken identity. The witness interviewed in the segment says that the 4 boys passed him and then a few moments later is when the Monte Carlo came barreling down the highway. Then it shows the driver of the Monte Carlo tailgating and bumping the 4 boys from behind. How would this guy be able to determine who the hell the occupants in the car where? I think he thought he recognized the car, which is why this specific car was targeted.

This wreck occurred in Chapel Hill on I-40 just east of the 15-501 exit. I am the reporter who was in this Unsolved Mystery case. I was on my way to Durham after work to go Christmas shopping when I saw the wreck on the highway below and stopped. That section of I-40 had just recently opened. Unsolved Mysteries filmed the segment on a section east of Chapel Hill that hadn't opened yet.
Periodicaly I see a N.C. Trooper who is the son of the trooper who investigated the case, and he tells me that the driver of the car that hit the young men has not been found.

Are you still a reporter in that area?

I wonder if they were run off of the road because of a drug debt that they didn't pay. Or maybe Rob Shafer was the culprit. Just kidding.

In all seriousness, the UM write up on this case has this line (and I think it was in the original segment too):

"Because of a lack of evidence, the police were reluctant to treat the incident as a crime."

What does this imply? They weren't looking for the driver because they didn't believe that he ran them off of the road?


Why it got to be a drug debt, because it was. Four black youth? They was in college getting their degree all black men aren't criminals or drug dealers smh.

To me it seem racial or they cut them off and it was road rage.

Why it got to be a drug debt, because it was. Four black youth? They was in college getting their degree all black men aren't criminals or drug dealers smh

It was sarcasm. I thought the "Rob Shafer was the culprit" line was a dead giveaway...because in cases where there seemingly is no connection between perpetrator and the victim/s, many posters on here always jump to the "drug debt", or "Rob did it" line of thinking. I was joking.

I always felt that this was just a racist guy who hated black people and tried to kill them with his car. Sadly I’ll be shocked if this case is ever solved unless the passenger grows a heart and tells all

I always felt that this was just a racist guy who hated black people and tried to kill them with his car. Sadly I’ll be shocked if this case is ever solved unless the passenger grows a heart and tells all

Pretty sure there is a strong suspect in this case and has been for many years. He's a known white supremacist from Georgia and has been in and out of prison most of his life. There has just never been enough evidence to charge him. Best as I can remember he became a suspect as a result of a tip from some people who heard him bragging about the crime.

Pretty sure there is a strong suspect in this case and has been for many years. He's a known white supremacist from Georgia and has been in and out of prison most of his life. There has just never been enough evidence to charge him. Best as I can remember he became a suspect as a result of a tip from some people who heard him bragging about the crime.
Yeah, really this kind of case is hard to prove unless he has the car still. The best evidence would be the passenger turning on him.

Just saw this one again going through segments.

There are a few weird aspects to this.

One, in cases like this (and UM has had a few) involving two parties and some kind of road incident I often wonder what the lead up to the incident was. UM sometimes portrayed these as one sided incidents when I suspect there was a more mutual escalation that took place. But in this case the other witnesses and the fact that 3 men survived and were apparently upstanding citizens makes that seem unlikely. If they did anything to provoke the guy it must have been something relatively trivial or unnoticed by them.

Two, the police were initially reluctant to treat the incident as a crime. That seems odd given that the vehicles supposedly made contact at some point, which would give physical evidence of a hit and run, particularly with witness statements. But by the same token the police had the segment on UM and cooperated, so it appears they wanted to solve this. Again, I'm left wondering if UM omitted information which would explain why the police were reluctant to consider this a crime at least initially.

Finally, this may well be a case where the assumption from the beginning that it had a racial motivation hampered the investigation by creating tunnel vision and cognitive deadlock. Its quite possible the motivation was road rage, or a random act, and if that was the case the profile of the suspect looks different.

In this country, anytime the white person is the perpetrator and the black person the victim, people automatically assume race is the issue. There could have been a myriad of factors that lead to this. For all we know, this could have been road rage. Maybe they exchanged insults. Maybe the white driver was mentally ill. We just don't know and probably never will.

In this country, anytime the white person is the perpetrator and the black person the victim, people automatically assume race was the issue.

That's because there is a long history of that being the case in the US, so to think that that might've also been the case here isn't all that far fetched.

What I mostly remember from the segment were those two redneck men describing the driver. Lol "ugly, ugly dude", they tore him to pieces:lol:.

I've often wondered what was the motive behind this, if the dude was pissed off about something he had heard or read, and was just looking for random black people to harm.
In this case not only do I hold the driver personally responsible, but the woman next to him as well, for not reporting the crime. As well anyone that might've been associated with him, and hasn't reported it either, after all there is no statute of limitations for murder.

In this country, anytime the white person is the perpetrator and the black person the victim, people automatically assume race was the issue. There could have been a myriad of factors that lead to this. For all we we know, this could have been road rage. Maybe they exchanged insults. Maybe the white driver was mentally ill. We just don't know and probably never will.

Agree we likely never will know. I think the lesson is that investigation can be compromised to the point of failure by jumping to conclusions.

Road rage is a very real possibility. I'm not sure how accurate the reconstruction is in the segment, but it does show them as driving in the left lane when he came up behind, he might have been upset they were lingering in the left lane.

That's because there is a long history of that being the case in the US.

Jumping to conclusions is dangerous, especially when it comes to police investigations. That's how a lot of perps never get caught. Never make assumptions.

Jumping to conclusions is dangerous, especially when it comes to police investigations. That's how a lot of perps never get caught. Never make assumptions.

Not really, a lot of crimes don't get solved simply because of police incompetence or apathy towards the people affected. My years of true crime watching has taught me that.
And yes the guy having a license plate with the rebel flag on it; a well known racist symbol; running a car with black kids off the road to kill them does point to the case having racist motives.

I am still baffled at the line towards the end of the segment that says the police still cannot conclude that a crime had been committed. If he indeed ran them off the road, wouldn't there be evidence of another car striking the rear bumper multiple times?

I am still baffled at the line towards the end of the segment that says the police still cannot conclude that a crime had been committed. If he indeed ran them off the road, wouldn't there be evidence of another car striking the rear bumper multiple times?

Its possible to run someone off the road without actually making contact, mainly by swerving at them and forcing them to overreact. The driver was pretty young and likely inexperienced at handling a vehicle which would make that more plausible. The segment is vague if the car was actually hit right before it left the road. It does say that they were hit earlier in the sequence however.

This case always ticked me off beyond words!