Teen dies, juvenile hurt in fiery crash near Brier Creek Commons

A 2022 white Chevy Blazer left Arco Corporate Drive, burned in the roadway and killed 18-year-old Abraham Karim Manrique Ponce near Brier Creek Commons. Raleigh police responded at 1:14 p.m. on June 27 in the 3900 block of Macaw Street.

Police identified the driver as Abraham Karim Manrique Ponce, 18. Investigators found Ponce was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle after the SUV struck a tree and caught fire. A preliminary investigation found the Blazer was traveling at a high rate of speed, left the roadway to the right, struck two trees and then partially burned.

The juvenile passenger was seated in the front right passenger seat, was wearing a seat belt and was able to get out of the SUV on their own. The juvenile was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Ponce was also taken to a local hospital, where he died from injuries sustained in the crash.

Brier Creek Commons is an open-air lifestyle center with major tenants including Target, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Dick’s Sporting Goods, HomeGoods, Michael’s, PetSmart, Ross, Regal Brier Creek Stadium 14, Barnes & Noble and T.J. Maxx. The broader RDU-Brier Creek area has hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail, restaurants, breweries and family entertainment.

Macaw Street cuts through the shopping center and connects toward The Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport and a Hampton Inn. Raleigh police kept Macaw Street closed for an extended period while investigators worked the scene.