This image of Deese with her children was shared throughout Facebook for many days following her death.

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A two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a young mother has led to charges against the other driver, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Erick Jameson Apsitis, 48, of 1908 Wildwood Drive, Charlotte, has been charged with misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign, according to the accident report filed by State Trooper Justin Garner.

Apsitis is accused of causing the wreck that killed Courtney Deese, 27, according to the report.

The crash occurred when Apsitis’ Chevy pickup collided with the Ford pickup driven by Deese, at around 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the intersection of Northam Road and Snead Road in Rockingham, the accident report shows.

A friend of Deese, Tammy Thrift, 32, of Rockingham, was a passenger in the truck along with Deese’s three children, Ethan, Chase and Kylee, all between the ages of 8 and 5. Thrift, who suffered neck injuries, and two of the children, were treated at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, then released, according to a family member of Thrift.

Apsitis’ wife, Patricia Lewis Apsitis, 48, was a passenger in the Chevy that struck Deese and her four passengers. “She seemed to suffer from a cracked hip … ,” said Garner about the wife’s condition, “the driver only had minor cuts and abrasions.”

According to the Highway Patrol, the Ford driven by Deese was impacted on the front driver’s side, ejecting her from the vehicle as it landed on its side. Apsitis’ truck then hit a road sign and tombstone before veering into the Northam Road Cemetery near Deese’s body.

The charges against Apsitis can carry a maximum penalty of 150 days in jail. Trooper Garner stated there are no indications that suggest alcohol or drugs were involved in the accident.

— Staff Writer Cassidy Odom can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 16, or by email at codom@heartlandpublications.com.