The North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE) has charged five individuals following an investigation into a serious motor vehicle crash involving underage individuals that occurred on September 6 in Nash County. ALE routinely conducts criminal investigations to identify the source of alcoholic beverages provided to underage individuals, particularly in cases that result in serious injury or fatalities.
On Sept. 6, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) notified ALE that alcohol was believed to be a contributing factor in a serious single-vehicle collision that occurred on Rose Loop Road in Nashville, North Carolina.
According to the NCSHP, the vehicle carrying four people with three being under the age of 21, including the driver, crossed the centerline of the road, colliding with a ditch before overturning several times and completely ejecting the driver and two backseat passengers from the vehicle. No one in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. The driver and the two backseat passengers sustained life threatening and serious injuries, they were taken by EMS to an area trauma center. At the time of this release, one passenger remains in the hospital.
During the investigation, ALE special agents took steps to determine how those involved in the crash obtained alcohol and the actions of what led up to the crash. Agents determined that on the day of the crash, the driver, 20-year-old Jeremy Russell Thompson Jr., purchased alcohol using a fake identification. Thompson Jr. later consumed the alcohol and provided it to the underage occupants at a house party hosted by 20-year-old Hannah Carpenter. Carpenter’s father, Blair Carpenter, was home and allowed the party to occur the night of the crash.
In the moments leading up to the crash, the group involved in the crash was driving recklessly, doing doughnuts and burnouts in the intersections closest to the house party.
Based on the investigative findings, agents charged the following individuals:
Jeremy Russell Thompson Jr., 20, of Rocky Mount
- Possession of a Fraudulent ID
- Providing Alcohol to an Underage Person
- Underage Possession of Alcohol
- Underage Consumption of Alcohol
- Obtain Alcohol Using a False ID
- Purchase Malt Beverage/Unfortified Wine by an Underage Individual
Thompson Jr. was also charged by the NCSHP with driving while impaired, underage driving after consuming and two counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, along with several other charges.
Hannah Jo Carpenter, 20, Nashville
- Providing Alcohol to an Underage Person
- Underage Age Aiding and Abetting the Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by an Underage Person
- Underage Possession of Alcohol
- Underage Consumption of Alcohol
Desitny Olivia Deans, 19, of Spring Hope
- Underage Possession of Alcohol
- Underage consumption of Alcohol
Gavin Pickett Turner, 21, of Youngsville
- Aiding and Abetting the Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by an Underage Person – 8 counts
Blair Daniel Carpenter, 45, of Nashville
- Aiding and Abetting the Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by an Underage Person – 8 counts
About ALE
The primary mission of Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Special Agents, as peace officers with statewide jurisdiction throughout North Carolina, is to enhance community safety by addressing criminal activity at both ABC-licensed and illegal alcohol establishments. Authorized to take action against any crime of violence or breach of peace, ALE is the lead enforcement agency for the state’s alcoholic beverage control, gambling, lottery, and tobacco laws, with primary authority over nuisance abatement statutes.