Gregory William Martin, in the hoodie, taps a vehicle on the hood as he walks by on Feb. 29, 2024, in Ashville, North Carolina. A passenger, Tyler Coenraads, inset, got out of the car and pushed Martin, causing him to fall and hit his head. Martin, 73, later died and Coenraads is facing a murder charge. (Ashville Police Department)
A 24-year-old North Carolina man is facing a second-degree murder charge after he allegedly pushed a 73-year-old pedestrian who had tapped on the hood of his car, causing the man to fall and suffer a fatal head injury.
Tyler Coenraads turned himself into the Ashville Police Department on Monday and is at the Buncombe County Detention Facility without bond. The incident occurred on Feb. 29 when the pedestrian, Gregory William Martin, was walking through a crosswalk at Haywood Road near Craven Street and tapped on the hood as he went by.
A video released to local media by Ashville police, showed the incident unfold. It shows a vehicle stopped at a light within the crosswalk about to make a right turn. Martin walks by and pats the hood. He keeps walking and apparently turns around where he has words with the driver. Martin continues his walk and Coenraads, a passenger, gets out of the car and runs around the car and up to Martin. Coenraads apparently pushes Martin in the back, causing him to fall and hit his head. Coenraads runs back in the vehicle, and the driver flees.
The victim suffered severe head trauma and paramedics rushed him to the hospital. Cops identified Coenraads as the man in the video and arrested him on March 8 on charges of assault and inflicting serious bodily injury. But after Martin died on March 12, prosecutors upped the charges to murder after further investigation using the State Medical Examiner’s Office findings, along with consultation of Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office.
Coenraads is next due in court on April 24.
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