Defendant appears in court for DWI that killed a pastor

NEWTON – A local man appeared before Catawba County District Court Judge Wesley W. Barkley Wednesday morning on charges in a Tuesday night crash on U.S. Highway 70 that ended with the death of a Caldwell County preacher. Zachariah Arthur Carl, 31, of Newton, faces charges of one felony count of second-degree murder, one count of driving while impaired, one count of failure to stop for a red light, one count of possession of an open container, one count of driving with license revoked and one misdemeanor count of probation violation.