Driver in crash accused of DWI

    Valleytown – The driver who crashed into a utility pole resulting in the death of a local teenager has been charged with driving while intoxicated, according to police.
    Authorities say Gerald Edward Greene III, 21, of Andrews, was speeding eastbound on State Road 1428 during the early morning hours of Dec. 20, when he lost control of his vehicle, traveled off the road and crashed into a pole. The vehicle then overturned and ejected 16-year-old Connor Devin Pressley, also of Andrews.
    Pressley, one of three juvenile passengers, died as a result of the crash. Greene and the other two passengers were taken to Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital in Peachtree for treatment.
    “A combination of impaired driving and speeding are the contributing factors,” N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Murico Stephens said via email Monday.
    Greene is charged with DWI, reckless driving, exceeding posted speed and failure to wear a seat belt, according to police. He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, March 3, online records show.
    Active in several sports from a young age, Pressley participated on the football, basketball, baseball and track teams for Andrews High School at the time of his death.
    “I wasn’t super close to Connor, but man did he make me laugh in every class with him!” Emily Phillips wrote on Facebook after news of his death spread through the community. “It’s truly heartbreaking to know you’re gone. You knew how to make people smile and laugh and you for sure lit up the room with your presence. Your family, friends, classmates and community love you and you will forever be missed! Rip, Connor.”