Cary man accused in stolen SUV, pickup truck crash spree in Wake County

A black SUV ran a red light, struck a silver Lexus and went into the treeline at Ten-Ten Road and Old Stage Road during the Thursday morning commute. State Highway Patrol identified the suspect as Robert Jerry Bradley of Cary. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The chain of events began at Ten-Ten Road and Old Stage Road, where a black SUV ran a red light, struck a silver Lexus and went into the treeline. By about 8 a.m., multiple officials from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office were at the scene, with the Lexus showing rear-end damage and the SUV off the side of the road.

The situation escalated when another driver stopped to help. Instead of staying at the crash scene, Bradley got into that witness’s pickup truck and drove away. The truck was later found overturned on its side on Morgan Street near downtown Raleigh after hitting at least two other vehicles.

Bradley was likely impaired. Arrest warrants listed driving while impaired, felony hit-and-run, reckless driving, failure to stop for a red light and failure to wear a seat belt. The pickup truck owner said the vehicle was totaled. He said he had left it running and taken the keys with him, but Bradley was still able to drive it without the key.

A nearby witness, Nathan Nolan, was sleeping in a camper across the street when he heard a boom. Nolan said he saw one vehicle in the bushes and heard someone yell, “he’s getting in my truck.” Nolan said Bradley appeared to be bleeding from his forehead after the crash and estimated the first impact may have happened at about 50 to 60 mph.