Armando Gonzalez of Hendersonville Obituary, Death; – A United Parcel Service employee is facing a felony charge following an incident in which he allegedly struck a pedestrian fatally in Henderson County. After the collision, he reportedly returned his truck to the UPS facility before revisiting the accident site.
Blake Stewart Laughter, 24, from Hendersonville, was operating a UPS truck eastbound on Dana Road in a residential area near Hendersonville when he collided with a pedestrian who was walking in the roadway, as stated by Sgt. Cory Hipp of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on March 4, with law enforcement arriving shortly thereafter.
According to Hipp, Laughter “continued on” and drove the UPS vehicle back to the facility. Shortly after, he reached out to his family and returned to Dana Road in a personal vehicle accompanied by family members, Hipp noted. The pedestrian, identified as 59-year-old Armando Gonzalez of Hendersonville, was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the medical examiner.
Hipp indicated that the N.C. Highway Patrol does not believe that speed or alcohol played a role in the accident. Laughter was apprehended by the NCSHP on March 7 and charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death, according to court documents. He was held at the Henderson County Detention Center under a bond of $10,000, which he posted on the same day. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for April 15, as per online court records.
