Crime · Morrisville, NC
Morrisville Driver Sentenced to Prison After 113-MPH Crash Killed UNC Student in Oct. 2023
Nyasia Oceania Palmer, 25, of Morrisville, NC, pleaded guilty March 30 to felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle stemming from an Oct. 5, 2023 crash on Page Road near Duke Health Center Arrington that killed 22-year-old UNC senior Elijah Hawkins-Maynor and paralyzed recent graduate Rahman Mateen. Investigators found Palmer traveling approximately 113 mph in a 45 mph zone with no braking, a BAC of 0.09, and THC in her system; two months earlier she had been caught driving 101 mph in a 65 mph zone in Orange County. Superior Court Judge Brenda Branch sentenced Palmer to 5 years 4 months minimum and 7 years 5 months maximum in prison, with eligibility for supervised release after four years three months. Hawkins-Maynor's family established the EJHM Foundation providing $500 scholarships to 15 students annually.