North Carolina Teenager Faces Murder Charge Following Alleged Alcohol-Fueled Crash
A 16-year-old high school student from North Carolina has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly consuming Twisted Tea alcoholic beverages before driving drunk, resulting in a catastrophic crash that claimed the life of a 14-year-old bicyclist and left another teenager with critical injuries.
Fatal October Incident and Subsequent Investigation
Ashton Rahlfs, a sophomore at Holly Springs High School, was arrested weeks after the October incident where authorities say he was driving more than twice the 35 mph speed limit on Avent Ferry Road. According to police reports, Rahlfs fatally struck 14-year-old Max Dunham who was riding his bicycle before crossing into oncoming traffic and slamming into a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Brandon Russell.
The violent collision left Russell pinned inside his Honda Passport for more than thirty minutes until firefighters could extricate him using the "jaws of life" equipment. Russell's family reported his "body was shattered" in the crash, requiring weeks of hospitalization, dozens of surgeries, and multiple blood transfusions to address extensive injuries including broken arms, compound leg fractures, collapsed lungs, and kidney trauma.
Alcohol Evidence and Legal Proceedings
Newly returned search warrants obtained by WRAL News revealed compelling evidence of alcohol consumption prior to the crash. The teen had recorded a video showing a Twisted Tea can in his car's center cup holder just eight to ten minutes before the collision. At the crash scene, investigators discovered a crushed can of the alcoholic beverage along with seven additional cans in a nearby wooded area—some open, others punctured and empty.
Further warrants for Rahlfs' iPad uncovered photos and videos showing Twisted Tea boxes, a Party Pouch, various liquor bottles, and a trash bag filled with empty cans. Police also seized multiple alcoholic beverages from the teen's family home in Holly Springs, including empty bottles of tequila, whiskey, and vodka, beer cans, and 12- and 18-packs of Twisted Tea.
Blood Alcohol Levels and Initial Charges
According to search warrants, an officer at the scene immediately noticed Rahlfs had "extremely red and glassy eyes." Although the teenager agreed to a sobriety test and denied consuming any alcohol, marijuana, or other impairing substances—claiming he had only drunk a non-alcoholic energy drink—a roadside breath test indicated his blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.
Later tests conducted at the Law Enforcement Center confirmed Rahlfs' blood alcohol content measured 0.11, significantly above North Carolina's legal limit of 0.08 for drivers over 21 and completely illegal for drivers under 21. The high schooler was immediately charged with violating his driver's permit restrictions, driving after consuming alcohol while underage, and driving while impaired on the morning of the crash.
Grand Jury Indictment and Community Impact
In November, after weeks of what police described as "diligently and meticulously reviewing all aspects of the case," a Wake County grand jury returned an indictment against Rahlfs with multiple serious charges. These include second-degree murder, felony death by motor vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, DWI, and underage drinking and driving.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Holly Springs community. Dunham's death was particularly devastating for his father, who lost his son just months after his wife died from cancer. Classmates expressed their grief and confusion, with one admitting to being "distraught and didn't know what to do," while another noted the senselessness of the situation: "You know, you're 16, you have a whole life ahead of you and you're choosing to drink."
Police Response and Broader Implications
Holly Springs Police Chief Paul Liquorie acknowledged the exhaustive efforts of investigators and first responders while expressing hope that the case would serve as a cautionary tale. "My hope is that sentencing and this indictment are lessons for the youth in our town and elsewhere, that the choices they make can have dire consequences that cannot simply be fixed or taken back," Chief Liquorie told ABC 11 News.
Emily Ferraro, State Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, emphasized the preventable nature of such tragedies involving minors. "The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you are to have alcohol related crashes," Ferraro explained to WTVD News. "Almost a third of teens that are killed in a fatal crash involve underage drinking."
Witness Lynwood Montague, who lived nearby and contacted 911 after hearing the crash, described the harrowing scene: "I got up, went outside and was looking around, and all of a sudden I heard the worst screaming I have ever heard and moaning. I just knew it was bad."
As the legal proceedings continue, both the Dunham and Russell families face ongoing challenges. Russell has returned home but requires a wheelchair ramp and faces a long recovery road, while the community mourns the loss of a young life and grapples with the consequences of underage drinking and impaired driving.
