Police: Impaired driver kills two pedestrians in incident near Gastonia QuikTrip

GASTONIA, N.C. (WBTV) - Police say a woman killed two pedestrians while driving impaired in Gastonia early Sunday morning.

The incident occurred around 2:13 a.m. on the 400 block of East Long Avenue, near the QuikTrip gas station.

Katelyn Abernathy, 24, of Gastonia, allegedly drove up onto the sidewalk and struck and killed Charles Henry Love, 61, and Keytiada Cooke, 31, both of Gastonia. Love died at the scene and Cooke was pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to warrants, Abernathy “fail(ed) to remain at the scene of the accident and collision until a law enforcement officer completed the investigation of the accident and collision.” Police later arrested Abernathy at her Gastonia home.

She had red, glassy eyes and the odor of alcohol on her breath, according to her arrest paperwork.

Abernathy was charged with two counts of death by motor vehicle, felony hit hit and run causing serious injury or death, failure to maintain lane control, driving while impaired and driving with an expired registration plate.

Police say this remains an active investigation.

Abernathy was booked into Gaston County Jail under a $250,000 bond.

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