A 24-year-old Forsyth County Sheriff's deputy was killed in a head-on crash caused by a 19-year-old driver traveling at 100 mph, authorities in North Carolina report. The driver, Bryan Castillo, faces second-degree murder charges after the incident on Walnut Cove Road in Walkertown. Deputy Kaleb Mitchell leaves behind a pregnant wife and a 2-year-old son.
The collision occurred on Saturday afternoon along Walnut Cove Road in Walkertown, a suburb about 10 miles north of Winston-Salem. Bryan Castillo, 19, was driving a Chevrolet pickup truck northbound at speeds of 100 mph, well above the 55 mph limit, according to arrest warrants from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and the North Carolina Highway Patrol. At some point, Castillo crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and struck the southbound vehicle driven by Deputy Kaleb Mitchell, 24.
Mitchell, who was rushed to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The warrants describe the excessive speed as the proximate cause of the death. Initially charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, reckless driving, speeding, and driving left of center, Castillo's charges were upgraded to second-degree murder the following day based on further investigation.
During a press conference, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill described the event as "a very sad day for the people of Forsyth County." He explained the upgrade stemmed from the legal concept of malice, noting, "You understand that the individual charged here is charged with driving in excess of 100 miles per hour on the roads here in Forsyth County. That's an abandonment of the social obligation we hold for one another." O'Neill emphasized that Castillo is being treated as he would be if the victim were not a law enforcement officer.
Mitchell had joined the King Police Department in 2022 and transferred to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office in the spring of 2025. Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough highlighted the personal toll, stating, "The condition that has been created here is that there's a wife without a husband, there's a son without a father, a mother without her son, a community without a first responder, a 24-year-old young man that is no longer a part of this community."
A judge indicated Castillo could face life in prison without parole. He remains detained without bond at the Forsyth County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court on March 19.
