A 24-year-old Garysburg woman has been charged on multiple counts including second-degree murder in an April crash which claimed the life of Gaston woman.

Weldon Police Department Chief Chris Davis said Rajahney D. Pitt was arrested Sunday by the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office and was jailed on $275,000 secured bond.

The crash claimed the life of Jacqueline Marie Rera, 25, of Gaston.

Pitt’s mother, 45-year-old Princess Laverne Pitt, also of Garysburg, was charged with obstruction of justice for “not advising who was actually driving” at the time of the April 24 crash. She received a $500 unsecured bond.

In all, Rajahney Pitt faces the following charges:

Second-degree murder without regard; felony death by vehicle; felony serious injury by vehicle; reckless driving to endanger; DWI; and driving while license revoked.

Davis said the second-degree murder charge reflects Pitt was allegedly driving while impaired and without regard to others in the vehicle.

Davis said investigation shows Pitt registered a blood alcohol content at least twice the state’s legal limit of .08 and was driving the vehicle 55 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. 

She was on Third Street near Washington Avenue coming from the Roanoke Rapids area when she went off the road to the right, hit a utility pole and then a concrete wall causing the vehicle to overturn.

Rera was pronounced dead at the scene, Weldon police said at the time.

Pitt’s mother was charged Sunday by Gaston police. They both have first court dates of July 14, Davis said.