Michael Bryan Keadle, 23, of Raleigh, was recently charged with felony assault and involuntary manslaughter for the Aug. 21, 2004 death of Brandon Sova, a 19-year-old computer-engineering student from Clayton.
According to recently released medical records, Keadle's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit when investigators said he crossed the center line in the early-morning hours of Aug. 21, crashing his 1999 Honda CRV into a 1994 Chevrolet Camaro, in which Sova was a passenger.
Sova was pronounced dead at the scene; three others were injured in the accident.
The arrest comes after state Highway Patrol investigators recently reconstructed the accident scene. The case is expected to go to a Wake County grand jury in about three weeks.
Sova's parents, Mike and Jessie Sova, told WRAL that while they were relieved that charges have finally been filed in the case, it was not an end for them.
"Closure is a word I think a lot of people use who have not experienced a loss as tremendous as losing a child," said Jessie Sova. "There will never be closure for us, ever. As long as we live, we will grieve for our son, forever."
Since Sova's death, a family friend has formed a foundation in memory of the Clayton High School graduate, who would have turned 21 years old last month.
Called B's Promise, it funds scholarships to North Carolina State University for Clayton High School graduates and also raises awareness among high school students about drinking and driving.
The organization encourages area high school students to sign contracts, pledging that they will never get behind the wheel of a vehicle if they have been drinking or get into a car where the driver has been drinking.
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