In the still hours of Saturday night, just after midnight, life in the quiet outskirts of Kenly, North Carolina changed forever when a single car veered off U.S. Highway 301 and crashed into a massive oak tree on Weaver Road. The driver, 22-year-old Vicencio Pineda of Apex, lost control of his vehicle, slamming head-on into the tree and causing catastrophic devastation.
Inside the mangled wreckage sat his 27-year-old passenger, Jesus Marico‑Delgado of Bear Creek, who became trapped beneath the twisted metal. Rescuers fought against time and circumstance to save him, but the damage was too great. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
What followed only added to the tragedy: instead of awaiting help or facing the consequences, Pineda fled the scene on foot. A coordinated search between the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, the Kenly Police Department and troopers from the North Carolina Highway Patrol found him about half a mile from the crash site, wounded and swallowed by the early-morning darkness. He was transported to a nearby hospital and, once released, taken into custody.
On Monday, authorities formally charged Pineda with two felony counts: death by motor vehicle (for the loss of Marico-Delgado) and hit and run involving serious injury. Investigators say that while speed and possible impairment are under investigation, the crash reconstruction unit is still piecing together the exact sequence of events.
Law enforcement officials stress that fleeing a crash—especially when someone has died—is not simply a moment of panic but a crime that makes a deeply painful situation far worse. “Running away only makes a tragic situation worse,” said an investigator, noting the delay in rescue for the injured passenger and the added legal consequences for the driver.
Behind the facts and charges lie lives irreversibly changed. Friends and family of Marico-Delgado are left grappling with grief and memories: a hardworking, kind-hearted young man whose future was abruptly cut short. In the surrounding communities, the reflection goes beyond this single crash—drivers are urged to slow down, stay focused, and remember that one split-second choice can mean the difference between life and death.
In the coming days, the crash reconstruction team from the Highway Patrol will release more detailed findings on how the car left the road and what role speed or impairment played. Meanwhile, in the stillness of Kenly’s dawn, the weight of this loss lingers—and the message is clear: safe driving isn’t just about obeying laws—it’s about prot
ecting lives.
