Passenger in crash that killed one still critical

HAVELOCK - N.C. Highway Patrol troopers have released the name of the biker who died at the scene of a crash Monday.

James Herbert Belcher, 55, of Jacksonville was killed when he and his passenger on a motorcycle collided with an SUV on U.S. 70 just west of Havelock, according to Trooper C.W. Lawrance.

Belcher's passenger, Sylvia Lynn Hicks, 44, of Hubert, was listed in critical but stable condition Tuesday at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, according to the trooper.

The crash happened at 3 p.m. Monday when a Ford Expedition driven by Kristiana Brant, 23, of Havelock, pulled off the service road in front of Havelock Building Supply and attempted to make a left turn onto U.S. 70 East, Lawrance said.

The Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Belcher was headed west, and the two collided in the left lane of the four-lane highway. The cycle left a skid mark 150 feet long before impact, Lawrance said.

The motorcycle struck the driver's side of the white Expedition, spinning it 90 degrees on impact and leaving large dents in the side of the SUV.

There were two passengers in the Brant vehicle, Joshua Smith and Jose Cataquet, both of Havelock, Lawrance said. None of the three was injured in the collision.

Both motorcyclists were wearing helmets, and Hicks owned the motorcycle, according to Lawrance.

Lawrance said charges are pending in the crash.

"Anytime it's a fatality, we have to consult with the district attorney and get everything from the investigation on his desk before charges are brought," Lawrence said.

Havelock, Cherry Point and Township Six rescue personnel responded to the crash.