A man charged in a crash which claimed the life of a New York woman last month is scheduled for a June 28 first appearance in Halifax County District Court.

Dennis Earl Gentry Jr. of Beaufort County faces charges of reckless driving with wanton disregard, felony death by motor vehicle, DWI, and failure to reduce speed, according to the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts calendar.

The charges against Gentry were lodged by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The crash claimed the life of 58-year-old Dawn M. Houppert of Kirkville, New York.

Gentry has a prior record of DWI, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. In August of 1995 in Beaufort County he received a sentence of probation for DWI. In July of 2008 he received a suspended sentence for assault on a female in Beaufort County.

The crash occurred the evening of March 12 in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 in the Roanoke Rapids area, according to the initial state Highway Patrol report.

Gentry was traveling south at a high rate of speed and failed to reduce speed for slower traffic.

Gentry collided with a Ford hybrid driven by Houppert, which caused her vehicle to collide with a Hyundai Tucson with New Jersey tags. The Tucson then collided with a Hyundai Veloster. Debris from the collision caused damage to a GMC Sierra.

Houppert was pronounced deceased at the scene by Halifax County EMS, according to the report.