Man pleads guilty in crash that killed Afghan refugee and volunteer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Charlotte man has pleaded guilty following a crash that killed an Afghan mother.

Police said James Payne was driving under the influence and speeding when the car he was driving hit a truck, causing it to run off the road and overturn.

Nabila Rasoul and Dina Fernandez were walking to church when the crash happened. Rasoul and Fernandez were both killed.

[Related: Catholic Charities volunteer, refugee killed in northeast Charlotte crash]

Rasoul was wife, a mother of three children, and refugee. She and her family fled from the turmoil in Afghanistan and came to Charlotte through Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement program.

At the time of the wreck, Payne was charged with two counts of felony death by motor vehicle and one count each of driving while impaired, reckless driving and misdemeanor child abuse (a juvenile was found in the car at the time of the crash).

Payne will serve 16-23 months in prison, followed by community service and parole.

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