The son of a North Carolina sheriff’s captain faces life behind bars for an e-bike crash that killed two Black residents of Wilson, a city about 50 miles east of Raleigh.
Jason Williams, 49, and Charise Dickerson, 42, were riding an e-bike together in the early morning hours of Sept. 24 when a 2018 Toyota Camry struck them from behind. Authorities pronounced both dead at the scene.
The driver, 22-year-old Collin Weston McLaughlin, who is white, called 911 — but not before calling his father, James “Jimmy” McLaughlin, a captain with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.
According to local news outlet The Wilson Times, the younger McLaughlin told 911 dispatchers, “My father’s on his way.”
The captain reportedly arrived before first responders and told his son, “Sit down, bud,” during the call.
Search warrants obtained by WRAL News show that police officers gave McLaughlin a breath test, which indicated he was under the influence of alcohol. A field sobriety test at the medical center later confirmed it.
But Sheriff Calvin Woodard said the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office has “no involvement” in the investigation. The Wilson Police Department is handling the case.
Wilson police sent his blood sample to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, an outside agency, for a toxicology report and are awaiting the results. Still, the circumstances are drawing scrutiny online.
McLaughlin is now facing two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of felony death by motor vehicle, which carry up to life without parole.
Prosecutors charged him on Sept. 30, six days after the crash. He still hadn’t been booked as of Oct. 1, when Wilson County District Attorney Jeff Marsigli told CBS 17 that he had contacted McLaughlin’s attorneys to have him turn himself in.
After authorities served him with warrants on Oct. 2, he surrendered. That same morning, he made his first appearance in Wilson County court, where a judge set his bond at $1 million.
The victims’ family visibly reacted with distress when they learned McLaughlin posted bail hours after police arrested him.
As police escorted him out of the courtroom, Alesia Dickerson, mother of Charise Dickerson, yelled loudly, “He dragged my daughter. He dragged my daughter a football field, and he going home. “I’m sorry, but it’s wrong,” she said, according to The Wilson Times.
Sheriff Woodard addressed concerns about nepotism, saying authorities are handling the case like any other.
“[The captain] has served the Wilson County community with 30 years of honorable and creditable service. His son… has been afforded the same fundamental rights as any other citizen, including the right to speak with the district attorney’s office regarding his cases. At no point has the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office influenced, or attempted to influence, any decision made by the District Attorney’s Office,” he said.
In the meantime, the victims’ families are grieving the tragic loss and want answers. Dickerson was a mother of four, and her oldest daughter, Danaja, described her as “so full of life… a laughable person” to CBS 17.
She added, “I love everything about my mom. She worked hard, and she always put her kids [first].”
Family members reportedly expressed surprise when they learned about McLaughlin’s driving record. Court records show that he has faced numerous traffic charges since 2022, including speeding and reckless driving accusations across various counties. Many were downgraded to less serious traffic violations.
Dickerson’s mother wants assurances that the prosecution is free of conflict of interest. “I want everyone to know my daughter loved everyone, and I want everyone to keep pushing for justice,” she told the outlet. “That’s what my daughter would want.”
