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Bond reduced for driver in fatal street race

06:32 PM EDT on Thursday, May 28, 2009

By MARIO ROLDAN / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Mario: MRoldan@WCNC.com

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Bond reduced for driver in fatal street race

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A judge has reduced bond for a driver allegedly involved in a street race that killed three people.

Carlene Atkinson is now being held on $900,000 bond. Before the court hearing on Thursday, Atkinson's bond had been set at $3 million.

Atkinson is charged with three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Cynthia Furr, Furr's 2-year-old daughter and 13-year-old Hunter Holt.

"Carlene is a mother of two children, a wife, a daughter, sister," said her defense attorney George Miller. "She's just like you and me and everybody else out here. She feels horrible about what has happened." 

In court Thursday, Holt's father argued against a lower bond for Atkinson, saying she fled a crash scene that "reeked of death."

The judge said if Atkinson posts bond, she should consider herself under house arrest and wouldn’t be allowed to drive.

Also during the court hearing Thursday, new details came out about the alleged street race.

Atkinson is accused of racing 20-year-old Tyler Stasko. Prosecutors said Stasko and Atkinson apparently began racing the minute they left Carowinds April 4.

The race reached speeds up to 100 mph, according to a passenger in Stasko's car who survived the crash.

Atkinson's 13-year-old daughter, Hunter Holt and the second passenger in Stasko's car had all been at Carowinds. Atkinson's daughter was riding with her mother during the alleged street race.  

The deadly crash happened on York Road. Stasko's car collided with Furr's car as she tried to turn left onto the road from Riverpointe Drive.

Furr died at the scene. Her daughter was pronounced dead at a hospital. Holt died a day later.

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