Downtown fender-bender results in charges

A two-car accident in front of the Lenoir County Courthouse left one driver with minor injuries, but both facing charges.

Nathan Perry, 20, of Kinston was charged with an unsafe moving violation after his van hit Vickey Bryant's car.

Perry is a basketball coach at Arendell Parrott Academy and is also the public address announcer for the Kinston Indians at Grainger Stadium.

Bryant was charged with driving without insurance and displaying a revoked registration plate.

According to police, Perry, whose 1997 Plymouth Voyager was parked facing southbound on Queen Street across from the courthouse, tried to make a U-turn and pulled into the path of Bryant's car.

Perry said he was trying to park in front of the courthouse to pick up his father, but didn't see Bryant's car, a 2005 Pontiac Grand Am, coming up from behind him.

"I only looked one way," Perry said. "I knew I could make it that way, but I didn't see her coming up from the other way ... it was kind of a little shocking."

Bryant was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The accident stopped traffic in the southbound lane of S. Queen Street for "about a half hour," said Officer Preston Ellis.

Ellis said that if a driver does not pay his or her insurance on time - even if a payment date is missed by one day - the Department of Motor Vehicles revokes a car's registration.

Justin Schoenberger can be reached at (252) 559-1075 or jschoenberger@freedomenc.com.