Trial beginning for driver that killed the FM fans

[Livia]

Sad news, but I'm hoping the system works...

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Trial starts for man in fatal I-40 wreck
Police say that alcohol seems to have been an influence in accident

GREENSBORO

A man involved in a 2003 wreck on Interstate 40 that left three Davie County sisters dead appeared to have been under the influence of alcohol, witnesses testified during the first day of testimony in the man's trial yesterday.

Jeffrey Niles McFayden is charged with driving while impaired and three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Tara Howell Parker, 29; Mysti Howell Poplin, 24; and their half sister, Megan Elizabeth Howell, 16. Parker was married to Shawn Parker, who was a NASCAR crew chief.

A jury is hearing the case in Guilford Superior Court

E.K. Wrenn, a Greensboro police officer, testified that after he was called to the scene, "there was an odor of alcohol," on McFayden.

Assistant District Attorney Howard Neumann asked Wrenn if McFayden said anything after the wreck. Wrenn said that McFayden told him that his truck was in bad shape.

"I told him that he messed up his life and he killed someone," Townsend said. "He kept talking about his truck."

Neumann called nine witnesses who mainly described what they saw and heard the night of the wreck

The collision happened about 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 as the sisters were traveling home from Greensboro after a Fleetwood Mac concert in a rented limousine. The limousine was stopped in traffic and was hit from behind by a pickup driven by McFayden. The limousine traveled 69 feet from the point of impact, according to testimony.

A truck driver who was nearby when the wreck occurred testified that the pickup passed him traveling at nearly 80 mph.

In a sworn affidavit, a truck driver named Michael Jordan testified that McFayden was "stepping on it" when he passed him. Jordan then said he heard a "boom" and saw flames about 15 feet high.

Anthony Townsend, a FedEx truck driver, said that he also heard a boom. He then got a fire extinguisher from his truck and ran to the limousine, but he couldn't put out the fire, he said.

McFayden, who was brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, kept his head turned away from the victims' family. He would occasionally turn to talk with his attorney, Krispen Culbertson.

Neumann said he would call at least 10 additional witnesses today to finish the state's presentation.

• Titan Barksdale can be reached at 727-7377 or at [email protected]