Man pleads guilty in crash that killed twin sisters in Raleigh
A Greenville man pleaded guilty to several felony charges involving the car crash deaths of twin sisters in Raleigh last year.
Griffin Alexander Curtis, 23, pleaded guilty to six charges on Friday morning in Wake County Superior Court, according to a plea transcript.
Curtis was charged with two counts of felony death by vehicle, three counts of felony serious injury by vehicle and driving while impaired.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison with a maximum of 23 years depending on his behavior, according to WRAL.
Curtis crashed head-on into a car Kayla and Morgan Kushner, both 25, were riding in on Jan. 9 around 8:30 p.m. on Avent Ferry Road, near Chappell Drive and Gorman Street.
Curtis crossed three lanes of traffic into the oncoming lane on Avent Ferry Road. He struck the vehicle in which the sisters were passengers, Raleigh police said previously.
At the time of the crash, Curtis was driving with open containers and possessed up to half an ounce of marijuana, records show.
Curtis’ attorney said his client admitted to smoking marijuana, drinking and speeding before the crash, WRAL reported. A jar of marijuana and “hundreds” of nitrous oxide cartridges were found inside his car.
He had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13, prosecutors said. Curtis was previously held on $2 million bail, The News & Observer previously reported.
Brennan Callen, 27, Kayla’s boyfriend and driver of the car the twins were riding in, was hospitalized with serious injuries, but survived.
Twin sisters die in Raleigh crash
Callen had hoped to propose to Kayla that spring, according to a GoFundMe online fundraiser set up last year for him.
Callen has spent the time since the crash recovering from two broken legs, a shattered wrist, fractured ribs and a bruised lung.
Kayla Kushner worked as a digital marketing consultant and photographer for local businesses and clients, according to an obituary published in The News & Observer.
Morgan Kushner worked in social media, communications, and digital marketing, the obituary said. The sisters were planning to start a media consulting firm.
“Morgan will be remembered for her gentle soul and loving heart. She moved through life with a graceful presence, leaving beauty and peace in her wake,” the obituary said. “She saw the good in everyone she met and always wanted to make others happy. Calm and quiet, she was an excellent listener with a huge heart.”
The sisters graduated from Meredith College in 2019.
“A growing activist, Kayla was never afraid to fight for the causes or people she held dear. As individuals, Morgan and Kayla could each move mountains, but, together, they were a special force that created a more beautiful, kind world for everyone they knew and every heart they touched.”
