By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — The driver of a car that collided with a motorcycle Sunday night, resulting in two deaths, was released from prison eight days ago.
Dexter Leon Jones, 31, was released from prison on Sept. 4 after serving more than a year for violating probation on convictions of felony selling and distributing drugs on school grounds, felony possession of cocaine and felony possession of a controlled substance, N.C. Department of Correction records show.
Jones was the driver of a 1998 Oldsmobile that collided with a motorcycle while coming out of a Wilco-Hess parking lot in the 3400 block of South Main Street at about 10 p.m. Sunday.
Both passengers on the motorcycle died instantly, Salisbury Police Department officials said. They have been identified as Roger Dale Carriker, 39, of Linwood, and Heather Elizabeth Cross, 22, Salisbury.
Jones and his passenger, Harvey Ratcliffe Jr., were both hospitalized.
Jones, 31, a Salisbury resident, was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem with critical injuries, police said. He remains in critical condition today, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Ratcliffe, 30, was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.
According to Salisbury police, alcohol and drugs are believed to have been a factor in the crash. Police could not provide further details. No charges had been filed this afternoon.
Authorities said Jones was turning left out of the parking lot to go north on Main Street and crossed the southbound lane in the path of oncoming motorcycle.
The conviction on drug charges for which Jones was on probation occurred in 2007.