A 37-year-old illegal immigrant is in custody after a deadly DUI incident on Friday night in North Carolina. Juan Alvarado Aguilar allegedly drove a Chevrolet Silverado while intoxicated, veering into oncoming traffic on Amity Hill Road in Cleveland.
Reports indicate that Aguilar crashed head-on into a Honda Accord, which resulted in the vehicle being thrown off the road and a passenger being ejected.
The victims, identified as Fletcher Mark Daniel Harris, 20, a student at Catawba College, and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Skylar Nicole Provenza from Statesville, were declared dead at the scene, according to multiple local news sources.
Both occupants of the Honda were wearing seatbelts during the crash, yet tragedy struck. Aguilar, who didn’t have a license, suffered only minor injuries.
This isn’t Aguilar’s first run-in with the law; he had a previous DWI charge from 2020 in Cabarrus County. After his arrest on Saturday, he reportedly faced an attack from an ICE detainee when his Mexican passport came to light, as reported by various news outlets.
He’s been charged with two felonies: vehicular homicide and driving while impaired, as detailed in jail records.
Harris was a junior at Catawba College, pursuing degrees in environmental sustainability and biology, and played on the men’s soccer team. The college’s Vice President of Athletics expressed deep sorrow over his loss, describing him as an exceptional student and friend.
The soccer coach pointed out the overwhelming support and love shown towards Harris, highlighting the impact he made on those around him.
Aguilar is currently held at the Rowan County Detention Center with a bail set at $5 million. He is set to appear in court on March 2.
