On September 1, 2022 Dakeia Charles, 26, pled guilty to murdering 5 people in Charlotte, NC. The dead victims are 58-year-old Mark Barlaan, Matthew Obester, 34, Andrea Obester, 39, and their two daughters, 9-year-old Violet and 12-year-old Elizabeth. Dakeia will only spend 20 years in prison.
On July 3, 2020, Dakeia was driving recklessly at high speeds on Interstate-485 near W.T. Harris Boulevard in Charlotte, NC. Dakeia was driving more than 100 mph and weaving in and out of traffic.
Dakeia sideswiped a box truck that was driving in the lane beside him, and his vehicle became wedged under the box truck’s axle. As a result, the driver of the box truck lost control and crossed over the median into oncoming traffic.
The box truck began to spin, and in the process, the rear of the box truck went up and over another vehicle, causing fatal injuries to Mark Barlaan, Mark died soon after.
As this was happening, Matthew Obester who was driving an SUV, tried to avoid the collision but ultimately crashed into the spinning box truck. Matthew, his wife Andrea Obester, and their two daughters Violet and Elizabeth were killed.
The driver of the box truck was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the truck.
Dakeia was also injured and went to jail in a neck brace. When Dakeia’s blood was tested four hours after the crash, his blood alcohol content was 0.07. Due to a previous driving while impaired conviction in another county, Dakeia had been ordered to abide by a license restriction that prohibited him from driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 or more.
At court Dakeia pled guilty to five counts of second degree murder, one count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, speeding, reckless driving, driving while impaired, and failure to comply with a license restriction.
A judge sentenced Dakeia to 20 years in prison.
