The Nyasia Palmer Durham crash refers to an early-morning wreck on Page Road on October 5, 2023, in which authorities say Palmer, then 22, drove a Hyundai Sonata at 113 mph in a 45 mph zone, lost control, and killed a passenger. Palmer, of Morrisville, North Carolina, was charged with second-degree murder and seven additional offenses. The passenger who died was Elijah Hawkins-Maynor, a 22-year-old UNC–Chapel Hill student. Two other passengers were seriously injured; one was left paralyzed below the waist.
What Happened on Page Road
Shortly before 3 a.m., Palmer was driving northeast on Page Road near Comstock Road in Durham with three passengers. Durham police say she lost control at 113 mph, ran off the road to the right, slid sideways across a concrete median, entered a wooded area, and struck a large tree. The car went airborne, landed upside down in the roadway, and slid to a stop. Three of the four occupants were ejected.1WRAL. Durham Woman Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Fatal Page Road Crash2News & Observer. Durham Woman Charged With Murder After Fatal Crash on Page Road
Data recovered from the vehicle showed no signs of braking before impact. Before the crash, one of the passengers had called a friend to report that the driver was going more than 100 mph and refused to slow down.3WRAL. Nyasia Palmer Second-Degree Murder Charge Fatal Crash Details
Who Was Killed and Injured
Elijah Hawkins-Maynor, a Durham resident and UNC–Chapel Hill student with a 3.7 GPA, was pronounced dead at the scene.4WRAL. Family Honors UNC Student Killed in Durham Car Crash His mother, Rosalind Reddick, called him her “26th birthday gift” and “the calm to my storm.”5CBS 17. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Advocate for Ignition Interlock Program in NC
Of the two surviving passengers, one suffered several broken bones and the other sustained a spinal injury that left him paralyzed below the waist, according to WRAL reporting in March 2024. Neither has been publicly identified in news coverage.3WRAL. Nyasia Palmer Second-Degree Murder Charge Fatal Crash Details
The Charges
Palmer faces eight criminal counts:
- Second-degree murder
- Felony death by vehicle
- Two counts of felony serious injury by vehicle
- Misdemeanor death by motor vehicle
- Speeding
- Failure to maintain lane control
- Reckless driving
- Driving while license revoked
Court documents showed Palmer’s blood alcohol level was .09 at the time of the crash, above North Carolina’s legal limit of .08, and that she also had THC in her system. Authorities concluded she was impaired by both alcohol and drugs.3WRAL. Nyasia Palmer Second-Degree Murder Charge Fatal Crash Details The revoked-license charge indicates she did not have a valid license when the collision occurred.6ABC 11. Durham Police Charge Nyasia Palmer in Fatal High-Speed Crash
Why Second-Degree Murder in a Traffic Death
Prosecutors in North Carolina typically pursue felony death by vehicle when impaired driving causes a fatality. Elevating a charge to second-degree murder generally reflects an allegation of malice, meaning conduct so reckless and wanton that it demonstrated a complete disregard for human life. The combination alleged here — extreme speed, impairment by alcohol and marijuana, driving on a revoked license, and a passenger’s plea to slow down — all bears on that determination. Second-degree murder in North Carolina is a Class B1 or Class B2 felony depending on the type of malice found, with B1 carrying substantially longer prison terms.7UNC School of Government. Change in Punishment for Second-Degree Murder Felony death by vehicle is a Class D felony and felony serious injury by vehicle is a Class F felony.8North Carolina General Assembly. Senate Bill 105
Where the Case Stands
Palmer was initially held in the Durham County Jail with no bond.1WRAL. Durham Woman Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Fatal Page Road Crash By March 2024, WRAL reported that she had been released from jail and was living in Asheville and performing volunteer work. Her defense attorney was identified as Steve Lindsay. Palmer was described in news reports as a recent graduate of North Carolina Central University.3WRAL. Nyasia Palmer Second-Degree Murder Charge Fatal Crash Details Available reporting does not say whether the case has gone to trial, whether a plea has been reached, or what conditions were set for her release.p>
The Family’s Response
In November 2023, Hawkins-Maynor’s parents began planning what became the Elijah Jayden Hawkins-Maynor (EJHM) Foundation, built around academic achievement, community outreach, mentorship, and benevolence. Rosalind Reddick said the foundation lets the family focus on “the positive instead of the court proceedings.”9WRAL. From Sorrow to Support: Family of UNC Student Killed in Car Crash Starts Foundation The foundation awards $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA who have completed community service hours; it funded eight students in 2024 and ten in 2025.10EJHM Foundation. Academic Achievement
Reddick also spoke before the North Carolina General Assembly in support of House Bill 789, which would expand the state’s ignition interlock program for drunk-driving offenders. “It is not enough to react, we must act before the tragedy,” she told lawmakers.5CBS 17. Mothers Against Drunk Driving Advocate for Ignition Interlock Program in NC