Two North Carolina families are in shambles after an accident and a shooting along a rural road left a teenage boy and an adult man dead.
Chad Woods’ 17-year-old son was struck and killed by Jeffrey McKay on Monday, Aug. 14.
Around 6:15 a.m., the father, mother, and son were walking on Dink Ashley Road near Ed Brooks Road in Timberlake, North Carolina, because their car had run out of gas. McKay was driving down the road in a Department of Corrections truck and hit the boy.
After striking the boy, McKay, a 39-year-old engineering supervisor with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, pulled his Ram pickup truck over and called emergency workers.
Authorities say upon seeing his 17-year-old dead on the road, Woods fatally shot McKay in retaliation. At this point, both parents jumped in the truck and drive home, according to WITN.
The sheriff’s office said Woods, 41, tossed the gun in a local pond before climbing into McKay’s truck and leaving McKay and his son on the roadway.
“He was a good person. He was a real good person,” the boy’s brother told ABC11. “Wanted to be an IT technician. He was doing, he wanted to be positive in life. He wanted to help people. He was a people person.”
Woods’ father, Lawrence Clayborn, told ABC 11 his son was “out of it” and was “going off” after seeing his son lifeless.
“He just … killed my son. He killed my son,” Woods allegedly said to his dad.
The teen died after being hit by the truck. McKay, on the other hand, died on his trip to a nearby hospital by police, USA Today reported.
While he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder of a state employee and larceny of a motor vehicle, the firearm used to shoot McKay has not been recovered. For the murder charge, Woods faces a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It is the worst news possible that my grand nephew was gone and my brother had been taken to jail,” Jeffrey Woods said. “But as far as everything else goes, I’m loss for words.”
The boy’s mother has not been charged. Authorities say they heard another voice heard in the background during the 911 call regarding the incident but did not verify that it was the mother, according to NBC News.
“This is kind of a first. I’ve been to people struck by cars, and I’ve been to shootings, but I haven’t ever had this happen at the same time. Sad situation all around, for all the families,” Sgt. Kevin Morris said.
Woods is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 21.
