A tragic wrong-way crash along Capital Boulevard/US 1 claimed the life of 24-year-old Katana Perry of Raleigh late Tuesday night, prompting an outpouring of grief from family and friends as authorities press charges against the alleged driver responsible.
The fatal collision occurred around 11:15 p.m. on May 20 in the northbound lanes of Capital Boulevard near Star Road. Wake Forest Police and NC State Highway Patrol responded to a three-vehicle crash and located Perry deceased at the scene. Three other individuals were transported to a local hospital, including the at-fault driver.
Investigators say 74-year-old Willie Gene Coleman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes when his vehicle struck two others head-on. Coleman’s vehicle first collided with a car driven by 36-year-old Barrett Carter of Raleigh before striking a second vehicle driven by 19-year-old Quidasiah Teachey of Franklinton.
Perry, a passenger in Carter’s vehicle, died from injuries sustained in the crash. Carter was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while Teachey suffered minor injuries.
Coleman, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, has been formally charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and driving the wrong way on a dual-lane highway. Authorities say impairment is not suspected as a factor in the crash. Charges will be served once he is released from medical care.
The wreck forced the closure of all northbound lanes of Capital Boulevard at Star Road until about 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, as police conducted an on-scene investigation with support from the State Highway Patrol.
The news of Perry’s death has devastated those who knew her. Tributes have poured in on social media from family members, classmates, and colleagues who remember her as a joyful, kind, and vibrant young woman full of promise.
