Whitmore, 26, was arrested two days after a Halifax County Grand Jury indicted him for second-degree

murder, aggravated felony death by motor vehicle, five counts of assault with a deadly weapon and five counts of reckless driving to endanger.

He was arrested at Presto around 3:30 p.m., Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Chuck Hasty said. Members of the City County Drug Task Force took him into custody.

Various law enforcement sources said Whitmore was taken to Halifax Regional Medical Center because he was complaining of chest pains. After a medical checkup he was carried to the Halifax County Jail where the indictment called for a $1 million bond.

The aggravated death by motor vehicle count reflects that Whitmore was impaired at the time he crashed into Fishel's vehicle at the intersection of Tenth Street and Becker Drive. Hasty declined to say on what substance or substances he was impaired.

The five counts of assault and five counts of reckless driving reflect all the people involved in the crash that evening.

The crash occurred shortly after 5 p.m. after Whitemore sustained a gunshot wound to the lower leg following an argument outside a barbershop in the Forest Hills Shopping Center.

The nature of that dispute is not known. It is believed by law enforcement Whitmore was driving to HRMC for treatment of the injury. He was treated that same evening and discharged.

The initial police report notes that Whitmore of Sugarberry Road, Roanoke Rapids, was driving a 2013 Toyota owned by Hertz Vehicles LLC out of Charlotte while Fishel was driving a 2000 Honda.

Others involved in the crash were Eboni Burgess of Roanoke Rapids who was driving a 2013 Toyota and Howard Shearin of Roanoke Rapids who was driving a 2014 Toyota.

The narrative says Whitemore was traveling south on Highway 125 — Tenth Street — “at an extremely high rate of speed in the left turn lane.”

Fishel, who had been running errands that evening, had the green light and was proceeding through the intersection east when Whitemore entered the intersection against a red light, striking her vehicle. Whitemore's vehicle flipped on its side and crashed into Burgess's vehicle that was sitting at the red light in lane 2 heading north.

Shearin, according to the report, was coming to the light north in lane 1 and was struck by Whitemore on the driver's side. Fishel was ejected from her vehicle and died later.

Since that time, Hasty said the police department took a methodical approach to the investigation. “We wanted to make sure all the bases were covered and the investigation we made was thorough.”

He said the investigation included interviewing witnesses and a state Highway Patrol investigation in which full details have not been released.

Whitemore has numerous pending charges besides those levied by the grand jury. They include driving and drug charges.

Hasty said he was pleased with the investigation. “We had some very dedicated investigators, Sergeant Richard White, Investigator Jeff Davis, the reconstruction team.”