Wilmington driver gets into accident, girlfriend’s body found inside vehicle
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man faces several charges, including failing to report a death, after investigators discovered a woman’s body in his vehicle following a traffic accident.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office says the death of Mallorie Kate McCollum, 23, is being investigated as an overdose.
According to a Wilmington Police report, Zakreigh Baker, 27, was driving on North Kerr Avenue on Tuesday morning when he rear-ended a car that was stopped at the light at Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway. Law enforcement responded and found McCollum’s body inside the vehicle.
Baker reportedly told police that he was taking his girlfriend to the hospital when the crash occurred. The sheriff’s office said it was obvious McCollum had been dead for a while.
The sheriff’s office is handling the overdose part of the investigation, while Wilmington police are handling the traffic accident.
Baker’s charges also include driving while impaired, driving with a revoked license, habitual impaired driving, and two counts of probation violation.
He is being held under a $50,000 bond.
