Police said the 17-year-old crashed into several parked vehicles after being shot early Wednesday.
SANFORD, NC — A 17-year-old Sanford boy died Wednesday after he was shot and crashed into several parked cars at an apartment complex off U.S. 1, police said.
Sanford police are investigating the death as a shooting tied to a crash at The Oaks Apartments on Oak Branch Lane. Officers were called to the complex about 1:30 a.m. after reports of a vehicle collision and a person who had been shot. No arrests had been announced by Wednesday afternoon, and police had not released the teen’s name.
Police said officers arrived to find several damaged vehicles and the teen suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Investigators said the teen had been shot on one side of the apartment complex before driving along Oak Branch Lane. The vehicle then accelerated at a “high rate of speed” and struck several unoccupied parked cars, police said. The damaged vehicles included a Lee County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. Emergency medical workers transported the teen for treatment, but he was pronounced dead while on the way to the hospital.
The crash scene stretched across part of the apartment complex, where police blocked off areas with yellow tape and worked through the early morning. Video from the scene showed evidence markers placed along the street and parking lot as investigators documented the path of the vehicle and the damaged cars. At least four vehicles were later towed from the property. The sheriff’s office patrol vehicle had heavy front-end and tire damage, while another vehicle linked to the crash had major front and side damage.
Investigators believe the shooting and crash are connected, but police have not said what led to the gunfire or whether more than one person fired shots. They also have not said whether the teen was alone in the vehicle, whether the shooting happened inside or outside a vehicle, or whether any weapon was recovered. Officers were seen speaking with people in the area as they worked to identify witnesses and gather information from the apartment complex.
The Oaks Apartments sit near U.S. 1 in Sanford, a Lee County city southwest of Raleigh. The location gave investigators several areas to review, including the street where the teen drove after being shot, the parking spaces where the vehicles were struck and the part of the complex where police believe the gunfire first occurred. Police said the teen was a Sanford resident, but they had not released further personal details while the investigation continued.
Sanford police said the case remained active Wednesday. Detectives are expected to review physical evidence from the shooting and crash scene, speak with witnesses and determine the sequence of events before the teen’s vehicle hit the parked cars. Police also must notify family members, complete reports and decide whether any charges will be filed once a suspect or suspects are identified. The department asked anyone with information to contact its detective division.
Neighbors saw a large police response after the crash and shooting were reported. Tire marks and fluid appeared to be visible in the parking area, and tow trucks removed damaged vehicles after investigators finished documenting parts of the scene. The mix of gunfire, a fatal injury and a crash into parked cars left police working across more than one section of the complex. “This is an active investigation,” police said in a statement.
As of Wednesday afternoon, police had not announced a suspect, motive or arrest. The next major update is expected when Sanford police release the teen’s identity or new findings from the investigation.
Author note: Last updated June 10, 2026.