A man could face charges if investigators find he was texting before a crash Monday that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. Robert Coy Johnson was injured in the collision and died Wednesday night.
Johnson, 52, lived in Lawndale and had many relatives in Gaston County. Trooper B.D. Theis with the N.C. Highway Patrol said he was shocked to find out Thursday morning that Johnson had died. Theis spoke with Johnson Monday night at Cleveland Regional Medical Center.
“I could tell he was in pain, there was no question about that, but nobody came to me and said that his injuries were severe,” Theis said. “It was never relayed to me in any shape or form that the man may lose his life.”
The crash: Johnson was driving a Harley-Davidson on North Post Road near Shelby close to the intersection of N.C. 150. Traffic ahead was slowing, and Johnson began to slow down in the 45-mph area, according to Theis.
Richard Towery, who is also from Lawndale, was driving a Volvo behind Johnson. Towery did not slow down in time and struck the Harley-Davidson, Theis said. Towery was going about 40 mph at the time of the impact, according to the crash report posted on the N.C. Highway Patrol website. The impact threw Johnson into the air, sending his motorcycle into a Jeep in front of him. Johnson was hit again by Towery though he was not run over, according to Theis. Johnson had already been taken to the hospital by ambulance by the time Theis came to investigate.
Texting allegation: Theis interviewed a couple who said that Towery was texting while driving down North Post Road that day. According to the couple, Towery was driving erratically shortly before the collision. They told the trooper that they were driving behind Towery. When the couple passed Towery, they reported that he was looking down at his phone.
The couple ended up behind Towery again and told the trooper that he continued to look at his phone. Theis said he asked Towery if he had been texting. “I was never able to get the young man to confirm to me that he’d been texting. He said he reached down to get a pack of cigarettes,” Theis said.
Known fighter: The crash broke multiple bones in Johnson’s body. He was ultimately taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Surgeons worked to help Johnson, but by Wednesday night he died. Surgery was not a new experience for Johnson.
He’d previously been featured in Gazette articles, having powered through two kidney transplants over the years. As a child, Johnson’s picture hung on the wall of the pediatric unit of the old Gaston Memorial hospital, according to his cousin, Cereta Pearson. Years later, Johnson’s kidney began to fail, and he had a second transplant, given a kidney from a relative.
Possible charges: Towery was charged with failure to reduce speed right after the crash. He could face more serious charges now that Johnson has died, according to Theis.
Theis was not at work Thursday, but he planned to meet with the Cleveland County District Attorney Friday afternoon. Had he known Johnson’s injuries were life-threatening, Theis said he would’ve already talked with the District Attorney about possible search warrants and charges. A search warrant could be issued for Towery’s phone that would reveal whether or not he was texting at the time of the crash.
Very distraught
Johnson was wearing an N.C. Department of Transportation-approved helmet the day of the accident, Theis said. According to family, he suffered several broken bones. No one else was injured in the crash, Theis said. By Wednesday afternoon, Johnson’s family was making funeral arrangements. They’re all very distraught, Pearson said.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.