Mair Famet contributed reporting
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After posting a $75,000 bond, a UNC student made her first appearance in superior court at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough in response to her criminal charges regarding a single-vehicle crash and the death of UNC student Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Rotunda, 21, on Feb. 19.
According to police records, Flemeeja Beatrice Brewer, 20, faced 12 new criminal charges including felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21 and involuntary manslaughter. She is expected to make her next appearance in court April 30.
The accident occurred at the intersection of NC 54/Raleigh Road and E. Barbee Chapel Road on Jan. 21 at 2:23 a.m. Reports said Brewer was driving at speed higher than the posted speed limit, which was 45 miles per hour, going 124 miles per hour. The crash report stated the vehicle ran off the road to the right past the intersection, crashing into a street sign. It continued off the road colliding with several decorative trees off the roadway. Additionally, the vehicle rolled until it finally stopped and landed on its roof on 120 Stancell Drive.
Along with Brewer and Rotunda in the vehicle, was N.C. Central University student Brianna Tiera Pinson, 22, who suffered “serious injury,” said the police report.
On Feb. 14, the Chapel Hill Police department released a press release uncovering a fourth individual related to the accident, UNC football player Zachary O’Brien Rice, 20, in a separate car.
As investigations continued, police charged Pinson with two counts of aid and abet consumption of alcohol by a person under 21 years old and Rice with driver after consuming under 21 years old, consume/possess alcohol under 21 years old and exceeding a posted speed limit. Both were issued criminal summons and are scheduled to appear in court on March 7.
In a separate investigation, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), charged seven other individuals in connection to the incident: Karissa Webb, 22, Annelle McNair, 24, Malaki Hamrick, 19, Travis Shaw, 19, Cameren Spencer, 20, Caden Spender, 22, Maliyah Pellum, 19.
ALE investigators determined that the reported minors, including Rotunda, were served alcoholic beverages at Still Life at 159 East Franklin Street and Might as Well Bar and Grill at 206 West Franklin Street.
Webb and McNair were both employees at Still Life where they were charged with several counts of sell/give alcohol to minors.
Carolina Week reached out to UNC and the university confirmed that Webb, McNair, Hamrick and Shaw are UNC students. Along with Rice, Hamrick and Shaw are UNC football players. The two were charged with underage possession/consumption of alcohol. In addition to underage possession of alcohol, Shaw was charged with five counts of aid/abet underage possession/consumption of alcohol and an outstanding order for arrest for failing to appear in Durham County for possession of marijuana.
Interim chancellor Lee Roberts made comments regarding the incident. He said the university will support the efforts of the Chapel Hill Police Department and ALE as their investigation continues and wanted to remind the community of local late night transportation services such as the P2P, which offers rides home for students from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Roberts also said the university has a number of mental health services for those students who lost their classmate.
Carolina Week also reached out to the Rotunda family regarding the new criminal charges to which the family said no comment.