By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury man will spend more than 15 years in prison after killing a Charlotte man and injuring his young niece while driving drunk the wrong way on Interstate 85 in 2007.
John Turner, 34, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder, driving while impaired, reckless driving, unlawful use of highway and felony serious injury by motor vehicle.
The collision happened in October 2007 when Turner drove his Honda Ridgeline pickup north in the southbound lanes of I-85 just north of the Lane Street exit in Kannapolis.
Heath Maynard Kelly, 30, swerved to avoid Turner. His vehicle hit the median, overturned and landed on top of safety cables. He died at the scene.
His 4-year-old niece, Christina Kelly of Carrboro, was critically injured. She had just celebrated at a birthday party.
Kelly had just picked up the child from her mother’s Carrboro home and was taking her to spend the weekend with her grandmother in Charlotte.
The child’s mother was Kelly’s sister.
At the time of the wreck, Highway Patrol Trooper C.F. Rogers said Turner had been charged two other times with DWI ó in 1999 in Rowan County and in 1993 in Franklin County. He was also charged with violating North Carolina’s open container law in 1996 in New Hanover County.
Turner’s blood alcohol level was .19, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit.
Investigators told a Post reporter around the time of the accident they were almost certain Turner was leaving a Charlotte-area bar before getting onto the highway.
Assistant District Attorney Karen Biernacki said jurors had not even been selected yet when discussions began about Turner taking a plea.
“We had talked to him months ago about a plea agreement,” she said.
Turner rejected that deal and nothing more came of it until Tuesday.
He was sentenced to just under 14 years up to nearly 18 years for second-degree murder, followed by nearly two years for the serious injury charge and one year for the driving while impaired charge that will run concurrently with the murder conviction. The other traffic infractions ó reckless driving and unlawful use of the highway ó were consolidated with the murder charge.
Turner was also ordered to take a substance abuse assessment and a mental health evaluation while in prison.
Biernacki said Turner essentially received about the same sentence he’d have received if he had taken the plea agreement months ago.
Christina Kelly was in critical condition after the collision. Biernacki said the young girl was critical for 10 days.
“She is doing well now,” Biernacki said.
Christina Kelly had to undergo physical and speech therapy. She’ll continue to be under the watchful eyes of a doctor to monitor her progress and development.
Turner’s attorney was Salisbury’s Trippe McKeny.