Suspect in fatal RDU bus crash appears in court for the first time

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The man accused of killing a couple during a shuttle bus crash near Raleigh-Durham International Airport on July 4th made his first court hearing today. The judge maintained the $300,000 bond set for 70-year-old Barry Hayes when he was booked into the Wake County Detention Center yesterday following his release from the hospital. He was injured in the crash that killed Scott and Jennifer Christofferson, who were passengers on this Fast Park RDU shuttle. Their young child and another passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries.  Investigators said Hayes was driving on the Glenwood Avenue ramp near Lumley Road just after 3 p.m. on July 4th, when he ran a red light and slammed into the shuttle, causing the bus to roll onto its side. The 70-year-old suspect’s family contacted police after the fatal crash, telling them that their loved one suffers from a cognitive impairment and was missing. The Erwin Police Department gave this timeline of events on when the Silver Alert was issued and then canceled: "On 7/05/26 at approximately 9:21 p.m., Erwin PD received a call from Hayes' family reporting him missing. Mr. Hayes has reportedly been staying with family in Erwin for a short amount of time. Mr. Hayes' family was out of town and, upon returning home, discovered that he was missing and that one of their vehicles was missing as well. Mr. Hayes' family reported to officers that he left sometime while they were out of town. Family also reported Mr. Hayes suffers from a cognitive impairment, leading to a missing person/silver alert being issued. Mr. Hayes was entered as missing on 7/5/2026 at 11:43 pm. The silver alert was approved and issued on 7/6/2026(Monday) at 12:57 am. On 7/6/2026, Erwin investigators received information regarding the person involved in the deadly Raleigh incident having the same name as our reported missing person. Erwin Investigators contacted Raleigh Police regarding the information. After working with Raleigh Police, it was verified that the person involved in their deadly motor vehicle collision, Mr. Hayes was, in fact, the same Barry Hayes reported missing from Erwin. After the identity was verified, the silver alert was canceled." Hayes requested a court-appointed attorney during his first appearance. “It’s unfortunate for the folks on the shuttle. It’s unfortunate for him and his family,” an anonymous neighbor of Hayes shared her reaction to the crash, his arrest, and the Silver Alert for him. “I’d say that (the Silver Alert) raises some concerns; that seems valid. And it tracks with the brief interactions I’ve had with him. “He’s just seemed like a character I had not met before.” However, like a good neighbor, she said the man she knows as Hayes seemed to never meet a stranger. “He would tend to other people’s, like the communal lawn space,” she added. “He would just talk up a storm to anybody who would lend an ear.” Hayes faces multiple charges, including two counts of involuntary manslaughter; two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle; reckless driving; failing to stop for a steady red light; driving with unsafe tires; and driving without a valid driver’s license. Neither the Silver Alert nor Hayes' cognitive impairment was addressed in court this afternoon. His next court date is scheduled for 9am August 5th.