The family of a man killed in an October 2024 chase and crash on Raleigh's Capital Boulevard will receive $200,000 as part of a settlement with a state trooper involved in the crash.
Tyrone Mason, who was from Durham, died following the Oct. 7, 2024, crash. His mother later filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his estate.
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Two North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers, Garrett Macario and Sgt. Matthew Morrison, were initially suspended from duty after an investigation raised questions about their actions following the crash. The two troopers were later fired from the Highway Patrol in June 2025, but neither faced criminal charges.
Attorneys for Mason's family issued this statement:
"Let's understand that Trooper Macario not only initiated the unsafe chase that led to Tyrone Mason's death, but that he also failed to render any aid, leaving an honest man to die on the side of the road and then tried to lie and cover it up. Let's remember that the Raleigh Police Department participated in that lie, telling a grieving mother that there was no pursuit even though they allegedly knew the truth."
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that body camera footage from the scene and communications between the two troopers raised questions about Macario's credibility and the truthfulness of his account of what happened. Body camera video from the incident showed Macario made false statements to Raleigh police officers who arrived on scene.
Mason's mother sued Macario, and the case was settled for $200,000.
Wake County dismissed charges in 180 DWI cases — some dating back to 2021 — in which Macario was the arresting officer. Freeman also asked the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate.
Although Freeman decided not to pursue criminal charges, she said the troopers' behavior was inconsistent with Highway Patrol standards and shared her concerns about Macario and Morrison with the agency.
"We believe credibility among law enforcement officers is essential to the work that we do. We need and have to trust officers," Freeman said. "Frankly, when we can't, it's disgusting."
Sgt. Chris Knox, a Highway Patrol spokesman, said, "We do recognize and take ownership that words spoken and captured by video in the moments after the collision’s occurrence do not reflect the high standards we place upon our members nor the lifesaving work that we see them carry out daily."
The settlement agreement, filed July 29, 2026, shows Mason's family will receive $100,000 for the wrongful death claim and another $100,000 to cover costs associated with his estate.
