North Carolina

Crash kills deputy a day after detention officer from same department died, NC cops say

Jose Deleon, left, and Roy Carter Jr. died within a day of each other.
Jose Deleon, left, and Roy Carter Jr. died within a day of each other. Warren County Sheriff's Office

A deputy died in a fiery crash the day after his department lost a beloved detention officer, North Carolina officials said.

Jose Angel Deleon was responding to a call when his patrol car crashed and went up in flames. Deleon, who had been a Warren County deputy for almost two years, died at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Our hearts are with the loved ones of Warren County Sheriff’s Deputy Jose Deleon who was killed in a car crash while in the line of duty over the weekend,” Gov. Roy Cooper wrote on Twitter. “We’re grateful for his life and for officers who risk their lives everyday to keep us safe.”

Officials were called to the crash at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. It happened on U.S. Highway 401, near the town of Warrenton and roughly 55 miles northeast of Raleigh.

The crash was reported the day after the death of another Warren County Sheriff’s Office employee.

Roy Carter Jr. had worked as a detention officer with the department since 2011. On Nov. 28, officials said he experienced a medical emergency at a Food Lion supermarket in Norlina, near Warrenton.

Carter was rushed to a hospital, but he was taken off life support on Dec. 3. He died just after 7 p.m., Warren County deputies wrote in a news release.

After Carter’s death, dozens of people took to social media to share their condolences with the department.

“He will be surely missed, and we ask that you keep his family, friends and coworkers in your thoughts and prayers,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Dec. 7.

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This story was originally published December 7, 2022 at 8:18 AM with the headline "Crash kills deputy a day after detention officer from same department died, NC cops say."

Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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