Taheri-Azar expected in court

HILLSBOROUGH — The man accused of driving through a gathering spot on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hitting nine people was expected in court.

Court officials said Mohammed Taheri-Azar was scheduled in court Tuesday for a hearing involving the incident on March 3, 2006. He’s charged with nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of felonious assault.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.

None of the people hit in the gathering area known as the Pit had to be hospitalized overnight. At the time, Taheri-Azar said his motive was to avenge Muslim deaths around the world.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)