Christopher Johnston Killed in Wilmington Bicycle Accident
Driver charged with death by motor vehicle and DWI following the collision on Carolina Beach Road
Christopher Johnston, 69, was killed in a bicycle crash in the 2100 block of Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington, North Carolina, late Friday, according to police.
Tierra Latrice Blackston, 38, of Raleigh, was arrested and charged with death by motor vehicle, driving while impaired, and child abuse. She was driving with a revoked license, according to arrest warrants. Blackston is being held at the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office Detention Center on a $400,000 secured bond.
Johnston was pronounced dead at the scene.
In 2023, 46 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in North Carolina, accounting for 2.9% of the state’s 1,561 total traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
The crash remains under investigation by local authorities.
Why was the driver on Carolina Beach Road with a revoked license?
While the criminal case against the driver proceeds, investigators will continue to examine the scene on Carolina Beach Road to document the exact point of impact and vehicle trajectory.
Law enforcement will also review the driver's history to understand why she was operating a vehicle with a revoked license.
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, said, "Distracted driving remains a major threat at intersections, where a split second glance away from the road can cost a bicyclist a life before a driver registers a person nearby on two wheels."
"Legal counsel often begins by gathering traffic signal timing, phone records, and camera angles, building a picture to support a surviving household through an emotionally difficult period," added Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News.
Criminal proceedings focus on penalizing the at-fault driver, but they do not automatically provide financial restitution to a grieving family. The presence of severe criminal charges, such as death by motor vehicle and child abuse, often provides critical evidence of negligence per se for parallel civil proceedings.
North Carolina wrongful death statute
Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-18-2, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. North Carolina applies contributory negligence. The statute of limitations is 2 years.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of services and companionship, funeral expenses, and the estate's losses.
"Determining whether a vehicle safely shared the road requires analyzing driver passing distance, vehicle speed, and marked bike lane boundaries," said Stefano Formica, of counsel at Bond Legal.
Formica, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News, noted, "Legal counsel helps surviving relatives by securing GPS trajectory logs, onboard camera data, and bystander statements to prove the cyclist was operating legally and safely before impact."