Boy unlikely to survive Garner crash that killed his parents, family says

GARNER, NC — A couple was killed and their son is not expected to survive after a driver ran a red light at an intersection in Garner on Monday afternoon.

The accident occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of US 70 and New Rand Road.

According to Garner police, a Chevy Trailblazer driven by 25-year-old Jordan Alexander Porter was traveling west on U.S. 70, ran a red light and struck a blue Mazda CX5 Select and a black Cadillac Escalade at the intersection.

Porter, who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, was charged with driving under the influence. More charges are expected, according to Garner police.

Two adults in the Mazda, 28-year-old Tyler Campbell and 29-year-old Susan Campbell, died from their injuries. Their 8-year-old son, Miles, was taken to WakeMed in critical condition.

According to a family member, Miles was declared brain dead on Tuesday and was “not expected to survive his injuries.”

The passengers in the Escalade were not injured.

The Garners enjoyed traveling and visited NC State

Tyler Campbell’s sister told WRAL News that the couple graduated from North Carolina State University and stayed in the Triangle after college. The couple and their son lived just about 2.5 miles from the accident scene, she said.

According to relatives, the family was adventurous and fond of traveling.

Tyler Campbell, an Eagle Scout, ran marathons and 5Ks and planned to run a marathon in Chicago next month, his sister said. Tyler worked at a software company while Susan worked as a nurse at WakeMed Cary.

His aunt said Miles was a Cub Scout, baseball player and martial arts student at Snap Kick Martial Arts.

Relatives shared the following statement with WRAL News: “Miles is in critical condition and they tell us his chances of survival are slim, but we are still praying for a miracle.”

Her goal is to “make sure people know how much they were loved by their entire family.”

Family members shared a photo of the couple at a North Carolina State football game.

Garner Baseball Inc. held a vigil at Lions Field (417 W. Main St.) on Tuesday and wrote:

“The Campbell family is part of the GBI family as Miles played in the Pinto League with the Trash Pandas this season. We are deeply heartbroken for the Campbell family and are praying and thinking of Miles and his medical team, first responders, classmates, teammates and friends as he fights for his life.”

Because of the vigil, baseball games will be postponed until 7 p.m.

Snap Kick Martial Arts also wrote about the family: “Susan and Tyler were wonderful parents and valued members of our community. Their unwavering support and kindness touched many of us and their loss is deeply felt by all who knew them.”

An hour later, Snap Kick Martial Arts held another vigil at 1411 Aversboro Road in Garner. Many family and friends stayed after the vigil to console each other.

On Monday afternoon, police closed the eastbound lanes of US 70 between New Rand and Benson Road for hours.

A Cumberland County resident who identified herself as “Donna” was shopping for mattresses in Garner with her husband and narrowly escaped the accident.

“If I had left a few seconds earlier, I would have been the one,” she said.

Family members say Miles will become an organ donor.

The accused man has a long history of traffic offenses

Upon closer inspection, it is apparent that Porter has a history of traffic violations spanning several years, including another accident nearly seven years ago.

WRAL News discovered a lawsuit against Jordan Porter for a three-car crash in 2017. The lawsuit was dropped, but he was charged with speeding, improper passing and lack of control of the car.

Since 2015, Porter has been charged with 12 violations, nine of which were dismissed, including hit and run, speeding and reckless driving, and he was found responsible for two violations.

Porter faces another case for exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour.

Scott Holmes is a law professor at North Carolina Central. Holmes said dropped charges don’t necessarily disappear from a person’s record in future cases.

“These types of charges really deserve special consideration because they have to do with public safety,” Holmes said. “Judges have the flexibility to do justice in certain cases and give weight to what they think is important in the traffic record to reach a fair verdict.”

However, we have no answers as to why Porter was not punished in most of these cases.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman issued a statement regarding Porter’s traffic violation:

“Mr. Porter is currently charged in Wake County with multiple offenses related to this tragic accident. Under the rules governing prosecutors, I cannot comment on this case, nor would it be appropriate for me to describe his driving history at this time. In 2022, he was charged in Wake County with hit and run and theft for allegedly being involved in a rear-end collision in a parking lot and removing the driver’s wallet from his vehicle when he and the other driver were on the scene. After multiple hearings of this case and after the victim was summoned to court, a review of the records indicates that the case was dismissed when the court declined to continue the trial and the victim failed to appear. One reason a case might end in dismissal is if witnesses fail to appear in court and the state is unable to proceed. As for other prior charges against Mr. Porter, it would not be appropriate for me to make assumptions as to why a case might be dismissed by a prosecutor in another county. The factors prosecutors consider in deciding how to proceed in a case generally include the strength of the evidence, the availability of witnesses, the defendant’s criminal record, and the threat to public safety.”