Sunday, two sibling customers were murdered after an SUV slammed into a chain restaurant in North Carolina, according to police.
Authorities characterised the collision, which was still under investigation as of their most recent update, as involving a single car. According to the Wilson Police Department, it happened about 9:45 a.m. inside a Hardee’s restaurant in Wilson, some 40 miles east of the state capital, Raleigh.
58-year-old Christopher Ruffin and 62-year-old Clay Ruffin, both from Wilson, were hit by a Lincoln Aviator, according to a police press release. At the scene, Christopher Ruffin was declared deceased. Clay Ruffin was transferred to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries, according to WNCN, a CBS station.
Photos taken at the site showed a silver SUV that had apparently slammed through the front windows of the Hardee’s and then stopped within the dining area atop shattered glass and window frames.
Eric McInerny, a police sergeant, said that another customer was checked by emergency medical staff but did not go to the hospital.
The driver was identified as Jesse Lawrence, 78, of Wilson, who was treated and discharged from the Wilson Medical Center. The investigation is continuing, however authorities have said that they do not think the accident was caused by a medical condition or disability.
As of late Sunday afternoon, no charges had been announced.