The Durham Police Department has announced charges against Wilmer Fuentes Mejia in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred on September 13. The charges include counts of involuntary manslaughter.
According to WRAL, the victim, 61-year-old Richard Ferguson Jr., was struck and killed on Chalk Level Road after a vehicle left the roadway, collided with signage, and then hit him near a bus stop. Police later arrested 30-year-old Wilmer Fuentes Mejia. In court proceedings, a prosecutor said that Mejia had been deported twice, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed his illegal status in the country. A judge set bond at $5 million. Family members described Ferguson as a longtime employee of the Durham Housing Authority who also worked a second job and was returning home when he was struck.
Key figures in this case include the $5 million bond, the victim’s age of 61, and the defendant’s age of 30. Additionally, there is mention of a prior 2020 Wake County driving while impaired (DWI) charge against Mejia where court records indicate he made a written promise to appear but failed to do so; an order for arrest was served only after the Durham incident. These details provide quantitative context for charging and bond decisions.
North Carolina’s impaired-driving release statute, N.C.G.S. 15A-534.2, allows authorities to hold an impaired defendant for up to 24 hours if they pose a danger; otherwise, release is required once no longer impaired or when a sober adult assumes custody. General pretrial conditions are set under G.S. 15A-534. These numeric guardrails explain common non-secured releases in first-time DWI arrests.
The Durham Police Department serves the City of Durham from its headquarters on Rigsbee Avenue. The agency oversees patrols, investigations, traffic management, and specialized units while coordinating with county, state, and federal partners on major cases. Its mission focuses on public safety, community engagement, and crime reduction within its jurisdiction of approximately 290,000 residents in the Research Triangle region.
