2 brothers dead after SUV driver Jesse Lawrence crashes into Hardee’s in Wilson

Car plows into Hardee’s Restaurant in Wilson, North Carolina, killing two brothers inside and leaving one injured

Sunday morning, a man crashed an SUV into a Hardee’s and killed two brothers who were eating there. Wilson police say they are looking into what happened.

Jesse Lawrence, 78, of Wilson, is accused of crashing his silver SUV into the Hardee’s restaurant located on Forest Hills Road close to Walmart at approximately 9:47 in the morning.

Christopher Ruffin, who was 58 and from Wilson, died at the scene. Police said that the SUV also hit Clay Ruffin, who was 62 years old.

Clay Ruffin, the brother of Christopher Ruffin, was transferred to ECU Health Medical Center but subsequently died, according to authorities.

According to the police, Lawrence was transferred to the Wilson Medical Center, where he received treatment and was later released.

Multiple officers, as well as the police department’s Strategic Traffic Enforcement Patrol Unit, are still on the scene, according to police.

According to authorities, the SUV only struck the Ruffin brothers.

Wilson police said in a news release, “At this time, officers are still looking into the incident, but they do not think it was caused by a medical condition or impairment.”

A significant portion of the Hardee’s restaurant was destroyed, and police tape was placed all around the parking lot.