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Law enforcement pursuits in central North Carolina draw attention to policies, bystander safety

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Law enforcement pursuits in central North Carolina draw attention to policies, bystander safety


DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Holly Loftis was inside her home along US 501 in Person County on Monday afternoon when she heard a nearby street mentioned on her scanner.

“I came to my front door and by that time I’d seen (the vehicle) come rolling by with the officer behind him and then I heard a big boom, like bang. So, I walked out and the truck was rolling and the car had went down in the ditch,” Loftis said.

Person County Sheriff Jason Wilborn told ABC11 that it started when a driver pulled out of a nearby convenience store and nearly caused an accident. A deputy in the area tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect drove off, leading to a pursuit that Wilborn said lasted less than two miles. The suspect’s vehicle collided with a bystander’s vehicle just before the Boston Road intersection, in which the suspect was ejected from the vehicle. As of Monday night, authorities have not released the names of either the suspect or bystander involved in the crash, though both were taken to a hospital.

The crash came just a day after a deadly pursuit in Wake County, in which an 18-year-old driver was reportedly driving 115 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-540 near Louisburg Road. Authorities said he ignored stop signs and crossed into oncoming traffic as he attempted to evade officers. After running a red light, he struck another vehicle traveling east on Zebulon Road near Louisburg Road and died from his injuries. The other driver was taken to WakeMed with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.

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“I can tell you with an ongoing pursuit, a continuing violation — reckless driving, suspected impaired driving — the continued danger to the public…the decision was made for deputies to continue to pursue,” Lt. Mike Fleer said.

These cases follow law enforcement pursuits in Lillington and Cumberland County, part of a pattern that has drawn attention. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 390 people in the state have died in crashes involving police pursuits between 1982 and 2020.

“There’s no doubt that police officers have an extremely difficult job. That’s why most of the policies say that you’re only supposed to initiate these chases under very extreme circumstances (such as) somebody’s got a gun and they’re shooting at people, (a suspect) robbed a bank, something like that. What happens is those rules get disobeyed, or they engage in chases where they get authorization from their department in situations where there is no danger to the public,” said Gary Mauney, a law partner with Mauney PLLC.

While bystanders injured in such chases can pursue civil damages, Mauney said they face challenging circumstances.

“Our appellate courts have interpreted the gross negligence standard as basically a “get-out-of-jail-free” card if you will, for police officers that are not even following their own policies,” said Mauney.

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Mauney pointed to other states that have altered their gross negligence standard, making it easier for victims to move forward with cases.

“The cities and municipalities out there need to start taking responsibility when their officers don’t follow their own policies,” he said. “The cities that can waive immunity through the paths that the legislature has allowed, they need to do that and then they need to make it meaningful.”

Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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North Carolina

2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers

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2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers


Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:

BERTIE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)

CARTERET COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)

CRAVEN COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)

DUPLIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)

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EDGECOMBE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)

GREENE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)

HYDE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)

JONES COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)

LENOIR COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)

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MARTIN COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)

ONSLOW COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)

PAMLICO COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)

PITT COUNTY

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Ballots Cast:

15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)

TYRRELL COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

30.49% (723 out of 2,371)

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WASHINGTON COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)

WAYNE COUNTY

Ballots Cast:

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21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)



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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety

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Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety


Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM

NC schools and businesses encouraged to practice tornado safety

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.

The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.

Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.

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SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend

Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo

Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam

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North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam


Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.

Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images


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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.

In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.

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Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.

Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.

Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.

On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.

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“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”

She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.

Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.

Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.

Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.

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However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.



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