Bethlehem, NC (September 07, 2026) - Driver Cheyanne Alezaye Ruiz, 18, of Catawba, and two 17-year-old occupants were seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash on Teague Town Road in Bethlehem, North Carolina. The collision happened at approximately 8:20 p.m. Monday in Alexander County.

According to the N.C. State Highway Patrol’s account released by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, the vehicle crossed the centerline, struck a ditch and a utility pole, and overturned several times. Ruiz was ejected. Only one of the three occupants was wearing a seatbelt. The pole strike also interrupted electrical service for nearby residents.

Ruiz was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries, while the two juvenile occupants were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, ALE said in its September 14 announcement.

The Highway Patrol notified ALE early Sept. 8 that alcohol was believed to have contributed to the crash the previous evening. ALE investigated the source of the alcohol alongside the Highway Patrol’s collision investigation. According to ALE, troopers found a 12-pack of Twisted Tea at the scene.

ALE alleged that Alexander Sebastian Church, 30, of Claremont, purchased alcohol and gave it to Ruiz on the day of the crash because he hoped to become romantically involved with her. Agents also alleged that Ruiz consumed the alcohol and supplied it to the two 17-year-old occupants.

ALE announced that Church was charged with providing alcohol to an underage person and aiding and abetting unlawful possession of alcohol by an underage person. Ruiz was charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, aiding and abetting underage possession of alcohol, and underage possession of alcohol.

The agency also reported that the Highway Patrol charged Ruiz with driving while impaired, underage driving after consuming, and operating a motor vehicle with wanton disregard for safety.

A Pole Strike Can Leave an Electrical Hazard

The Teague Town Road rollover struck a utility pole and interrupted power to nearby homes. A damaged pole adds a hazard beyond the wrecked vehicle: any fallen line, and anything touching it, must be treated as energized. An outage in the neighborhood is not an assurance that a particular wire is safe.

For someone who comes upon a similar crash, reaching toward a vehicle or a person in contact with a line can put the helper in danger too. Keep clear of the line and objects touching it. The Bethlehem account reports the pole damage and outage, without describing a fallen wire or an electrical injury.

The three occupants seriously injured in the Bethlehem rollover may each have different treatment and loss questions. A personal injury lawyer can discuss those individual consequences and the collision details recorded by investigators, while emergency responders and the utility remain the right contacts for any damaged electrical equipment.

Report the Line From a Safe Distance

If a crash damages electrical equipment or brings down a wire, call 911 and the electric utility from a safe distance. Describe the damaged equipment and vehicle location without approaching to inspect them. Wait for utility personnel to confirm the power is off before anyone approaches an object touching the line.