Driver accused in Eden dump truck crash that killed 4 linemen dies, Rockingham County sheriff confirms

RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) —  Michael Ray Vernon, the man accused of driving a dump truck that ran a stop sign, hitting and killing four Duke Energy workers in an April 2025 crash, has died, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Vernon died Sunday at the Raleigh Central Prison Hospital, where he was under a safekeeping order and was receiving treatment. A cause of death is not known at this time. On April 24, 2025, contractors for Duke Energy were working on powerlines in the area of Church and Carroll Streets in Eden when a city dump truck failed to stop at the intersection, hitting six men. Four were killed instantly. They were identified by troopers as: Douglas Garland Sides, 71, of SummerfieldMadison Carter, 32, of Sandy RidgeWilliam Evans, 35, of RandlemanMatthew Lockwood, 30, of Winston-Salem Carter, Evans and Lockwood were employees of Carolina Power, and Sides was an employee of Victory Powerline Services. According to the City of Eden, Vernon was an equipment operator II employee with the Solid Waste Division of the City. His first day was Aug. 23, 2017. He was placed on administrative leave before being fired following the crash. Vernon was previously charged with one count of failing to stop for a stop sign, one count of operating a commercial motor vehicle without a valid CDL and 4 counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. In November, he was indicted on four counts of second-degree murder without regard and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was given a $1 million dollar bond for the four counts of murder and $600,000 for the assault counts, giving him a total bond of $1.6 million.