By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury man will spend more than 15 years in prison for killing a Charlotte man and injuring his young niece while driving the wrong way on Interstate 85 in 2007.
John Turner, 34, pleaded guilty late last week to second-degree murder, driving while impaired, reckless driving, unlawful use of highway and felony serious injury by motor vehicle.
The collision happened in October 2007 when Turner drove his Honda Ridgeline pickup north in the southbound lanes of I-85 just north of the Lane Street exit in Kannapolis.
Heath Maynard Kelly swerved to avoid Turner. His vehicle hit the median, overturned and landed on top of safety cables. He died at the scene. His 4-year-old niece Christina Kelly was critically injured. She had just celebrated at a birthday party and was heading to her grandmother’s home in Charlotte.
See Friday’s Post and carpenter-media.go-vip.net.salisburypost.com for more details.