Man charged with DWI in deadly Garner crash has lengthy history of traffic offenses
A 25-year-old man was charged with driving while impaired after his car hit a Mazda with a family of three inside on Memorial Day.
According to the Garner Police Department, a Chevy Trailblazer driven by Jordan Alexander Porter, was traveling west on U.S. 70 and ran a red light, striking a blue Mazda CX5 Select and a black Cadillac Escalade at the intersection with New Rand Road.
A married couple in the Mazda identified as 28-year-old Tyler Campbell and 29-year-old Susan Campbell died from their injuries. Their 8-year-old son, Miles, was taken to WakeMed in critical condition and was declared brain dead on Tuesday, according to a family member.
Porter, who was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, was charged with DWI. According to Garner police, additional charges are expected.
The passengers in the Escalade were not injured.
Man charged in deadly crash has lengthy history of traffic offenses
A closer look at Porter shows he has a list of traffic offenses stretching back years, including a different crash from nearly seven years ago.
WRAL News discovered a lawsuit against Jordan Porter for a three-car crash in 2017. It was dropped, but he was accused of speeding, passing improperly and not being able to control the car.
Since 2015, Porter has had 12 violations levied against him. Nine were dismissed, including violations for hit & run, speeding and reckless driving. He was found responsible for two.
Porter has another case pending, for driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit.
Scott Holmes is a law professor at North Carolina Central. Holmes said dismissed charges aren't necessarily absent from someone's record for future cases.
"Those kinds of charges really merit significant consideration because those have to do with public safety," Holmes said. "Judges have the flexibility to try to do justice in particular cases and give weight to whatever about the traffic record they deem is important in terms of trying to give a just sentence."
But we don't have answers about why Porter didn't receive punishment in a majority of these cases.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman provided a statement on Porter's traffic record:
“Mr. Porter currently has been charged with multiple offenses in Wake County arising out of this tragic accident. Under rules that govern prosecutors, I cannot comment on this case nor would it be appropriate for me to characterize his past driving history at this time. In 2022 he was charged in Wake County with misdemeanor hit and run and larceny arising out of allegations that he was involved in a fender bender in a parking lot and when he and the other driver were on scene he removed the driver’s wallet from his vehicle. After multiple settings of that case, and after the victim had been subpoenaed to court, it appears from a review of the file that the case was dismissed when the court refused to continue it and when the victim had not appeared. One reason a case might end in dismissal is that witnesses do not come to court and the State is not able to move forward. As to other previous charges involving Mr. Porter, it would not be appropriate for me to conjecture as to why a case may be dismissed by a prosecutor in another district. Generally speaking, factors that are considered by prosecutors in deciding how to move forward with a case include the strength of evidence, the availability of witnesses, the prior record of the defendant and the risk to public safety.”
