Claude Tyler Bryant, a 33-year-old father of four living and working as a construction worker was killed by an illegal immigrant name Alexander Murcia-Guillen, 20 years old. Bryant was the construction superintendent for a road crew and Guillen struck him with an SUV, with law enforcement authorities saying that his being intoxicated and speeding were likely factors in his killing Bryant.
Guillen, after hitting Bryant, attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended and is now being held in Wake County on a $1 million bond. He faces multiple charges, including felony death by vehicle, felony hit-and-run, failure to move over – injury/death, driving after consuming, no operator’s license, careless and reckless driving to endanger, resisting, delaying, and/or obstructing a public officer, fictitious registration, operating a vehicle with no liability insurance and failure to maintain lane control. ABC 11, reporting on the horrific incident, said:
North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the fatal crash on I-40 eastbound near the 303-mile marker. A Chevrolet SUV entered an active work zone that was taking place in three lanes. The SUV hit and killed a construction worker that was working at the time.
The worker has been identified as 33-year-old Claude Tyler Bryant, from Rocky Mount. On social media, his employer described him as a hardworking leader known for staying a head of schedule. He had been promoted to superintendent in 2021 but still loved to be present on jobsites and lend a hand whenever needed.
Bryant leaves behind his fiancé of 16 years and four children.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was created for Bryant’s family and has already raised over $116,000, $16,000 more than its goal. The GoFundMe says:
CJ Bryant was working on I-40 on Tuesday night when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver. He was an employee of S.T. Wooten and was doing construction work to upgrade the road.
While I know that S.T. Wooten is providing for the family, the impact of this loss is extensive, and I wanted to be able to help CJ’s family in my own way. I worked at S.T. Wooten for 17 years, and it truly is a family that I’m still proud to be part of.
My first 2 weeks at S.T. Wooten, I was delivering checks to employees’ families who had been affected by Hurricane Floyd. I feel it’s important to carry on that legacy of taking care of your “family.”
Many of my colleagues have also expressed their desire to help, so I organized this GoFundMe.
These funds will go directly to CJ’s family: his fiance Laura (16 years together) and four kids.
Please keep Laura and the kids, and all of CJ’s family in your thoughts and prayers. And please… slow down when you drive through a work zone.
ST Wooten, Bryant’s employer, posted about the incident on Facebook, saying:
We are heartbroken to share that Asphalt Superintendent C.J. Bryant was struck and killed last night inside the I-40 work zone.
*** GO FUND ME UPDATE: Many of our friends have asked how they can help or contribute to CJ’s family. A good friend of the company – and long-time former employee – has started a Go Fund Me. As Butch said, a tragedy of this kind has a far-reaching impact. If you would like to contribute, the link is https://www.gofundme.com/f/claude-cj-bryant ***
A driver entered our lane closure about 3:20am and struck C.J. After the accident, the driver ran from the scene but was later caught by law enforcement. Fortunately, no one else was injured.
C.J. was a hardworking leader at S.T. Wooten for the last 6 years. Starting as a foreman, he worked on several big jobs, including I-795, US 70, and another section of I-40 in Sampson County. He quickly became known for keeping his jobs ahead of schedule and always working to improve.
He was promoted to superintendent in 2021, where he began overseeing multiple jobs. He was responsible for the big picture but still loved working on the jobsite with the crews and his fellow employees.
C.J. leaves behind his fiancé (together 16 years) and 4 children. Please keep them, his friends and family, C.J.’s crew, and all our employees in your thoughts and prayers.
Please slow down around work zones, and don’t drive impaired.
Featured image credit: Bryant image from GoFundMe, Guillen image is a mugshot
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