RALEIGH, N.C. — The Raleigh Police Department is investigating a tragic crash that occurred early Saturday morning, November 15, 2025, on eastbound Interstate 440 near the Atlantic Avenue bridge.
Officers were dispatched at 6:55 a.m. and arrived to find a Toyota RAV4 resting against the median barrier wall. Inside the vehicle, they discovered the driver, 55-year-old Bernard Wanjohi Kamara, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to investigators, the crash was caused by a mechanical failure involving a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. As the Passat approached the Atlantic Avenue bridge, its left front tire detached from the vehicle during a curve in the roadway. The tire crossed the median barrier and bounced into the eastbound lanes, where it struck Kamara’s RAV4, resulting in the fatal impact.
The driver of the Passat, 28-year-old Tyree McKinnie, was taken into custody following the incident. He has been charged with Involuntary Manslaughter as the investigation continues.
Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to contact the Raleigh Police Department as they work to piece together the events that led to this tragic loss of life.
