track the freezing temperatures with the wsoc weather app. a local high school student helped rescue a union county family minutes after this violent crash. >> the driver of the other vehicles involved was killed. this happened early this morning on pageland road. mark becker spoke to the young student about the rescue. you got new information i am hearing about the family. >> reporter: i just talked with highway patrol. they tell us four family members are in the hospital in charlotte tonight. three of them are expected to be all right including the father, an 11 year old, and 8 year old. but the ten year old boy needs a new liver and may not make it. this is after the collision that hit them so quickly and so violently. the crippled suv lying on its side this morning had been carrying a family on their way to school barely a mile down the road. >> i heard the crash. >> reporter: justin williams

toward the suv where he saw a girl trying to get out. >> the window was cracked so i just pulled it back and pulled her out. >> reporter: then he saw her brother dangling by his seat belt. >> i had slid the seat back and unbuckled the seat belt. i had to drag him out. >> reporter: justin pulled him out of the back of the car. their father and older sister stayed trapped in the front seat until firefighters and troopers could rescue them. justin was so busy he didn't even see the other car, a pickup truck that troopers say had crossed the center line and hit that suv head on. >> the impact was so severe that no one would survive. >> reporter: highway patrol says the driver of the truck, 43 year old richard lewis moss, was killed instantly. a witness told eyewitness news she had seen that truck driving erratically moments before the collision. officials at the elementary

waiting for three students involved in the accident. while justin williams went onto forest hills high school where he could later tell us he had done all he could. >> just to say i was there to help makes me proud. >> reporter: justin williams told us he is considering going into the military after high school. he may have just passed his first test with flying colors. the highway patrol is continuing to investigate and they're withholding the name of the family involved in the horrible accident. reporting live in monroe, mark becker, channel 9 eyewitness news. >> thank you. we sent a breaking news alert as soon as we learned about this crash. you can sign up to get those on our mobile app. it was a history making handshake between president obama and cuban president all castro today in havana. this trip impacts international politics but business too. in fact several u.s. companies are working to bridge

including paypal which days ago announced a move to charlotte. a handshake and smiles between president barack obama and cuban president castro mark first step in moving past a decade's old bitter divide between the united states and the communist nation. many cubans hope for a turning point. most make an average of $20 a month. only about 5% have internet access. in charlotte on a work visa, works at a restaurant where his co-worker translated thoughts about obama's visits. >> he got very excited because of his family living in cuba right now. they're going to have the opportunity to come. >> reporter: the unc charlotte chair of political science gregory weeks says the visit has a big political impact.

latin america and cuba so we can hopefully effectively encourage democratization. >> reporter: while a trade embargo still exists american businesses are eager to build a relationship. the ceo of paypal, a company that just announced move to charlotte, tweeted he is proud to be in havana as a business leader invited to join the president. opponents criticize the president's actions here. because of ongoing arrests of political disdents and other human rights issues in cuba. president obama is vowing to take a strong stance. >> although we still have significant differences around human rights and individual liberties inside of cuba, we felt that coming now would maximize our ability to prompt more change. >> charlotte may get a direct flight to cuba after american

flight to havana, one of 14 new flights the a irish exchange line applied for. most of the others would go out of miami. our coverage of the historic visit continues on wsoc tv.com. you can read the five things to know and what americans should know about travel and trade in cuba. new developments, town of matthews took the next step to try to guarantee students are put in a neighborhood school. they formed a mayoral task force on education. eight charter members have been selected to start evaluating options for students. last week matthews leaders passed a resolution saying they're prepared to leave cms unless the district guarantees students will be sent to neighborhood schools. this is all because of charlotte-mecklenburg's student assignment plan. the district wants to bring diversity to all schools. the most controversial option is moving kids out of neighborhood schools and sending them elsewhere. matthews is not the only one threatening to leave over the

others also voted and passed similar resolutions. lake norman chamber of commerce sent a letter to cms board asking to keep their students at neighborhood schools. the boyfriend of a 16 year old student killed this past weekend told investigators she was lying in the street when she was hit. troopers say copes and her boyfriend devonte parks got out of the car during an argument. parks told investigators he was trying to pick her up off the street when the car hit them. troopers are still investigating. copes was a student at shelby high school. extra counselors were on hand today. police in concord made an arrest in a murder. brian ward faces second degree murder charges in the death of columbus cj simmons. officers arrested him last night. investigators say a large crowd gathered around griffin circle last monday and shots were fired. it is not clear what started that shooting. channel 9 obtained newly released search warrants

down a man they say robbed the same store in east charlotte twice. police say walker held up employees at metro pcs on east way drive in january and again in march. search warrants show a worker was at the store during both robberies. during the march robbery she recognized him as the same suspect from january and ran out of the store to a business next door and called police. police used suspect description and a partial license plate number to track down walker. he faces robbery and attempted robbery charges. police seized walker's phone as part of the investigation into the robberies. medic had to evaluate two workers after this fire outside of uptown. it took more than 30 firefighters to put out the fire at southern cast on north church street. fire investigators believe it started in a furnace. all new, a man accused of murdering three people faced a

his attornies claim important evidence is either lost or it took years to find. our eyewitness news reporter dave faherty spoke with the victim's family members. >> reporter: one of the family members fought back tears as she described to me how she cries to self to sleep every night when she thinks of her sister who she says was killed execution style five years ago. take a look at some of this video. hue et is charged with three counts of murder. the murders happened in 2011 just south of con over inside a mobile home. from the beginning deputies suspected robbery as the motive. in court the attorney argued that notes were never taken by deputies when prosecutors wanted to charge an important witness in the case. authorities learned that witness didn't want to testify because he was fearful for his life. investigators never did end up charging him after he agreed to show up in court.

the murder scene drawn by an eyewitness and a deputy along with a taped interview done years ago but not turned over to defense until last month. we spoke with beverly can whose sister was one of the three killed. >> i want to know why. i haven't got no answer yet. it's hard. i have been wanting justice. we have been led off four different times to get justice for this. >> reporter: the judge already ruled there are several discovery violations in this case. i just learned from the courtroom that he plans on making a ruling tomorrow on what kind of action he is going to take ahead of this capital murder trial which is scheduled to start next month. former charlotte mayor patrick cannon out of the mecklenburg county jail. he left at 6:30 this morning after spending almost a week there.

plead guilty to voter fraud charge. we learned he was allowed to have visitors while he was here. we're asking if anyone did come to visit him. channel 9 is asking how much taxpayer money was spent on his jail stay and transportation. a public prayer vigil will be held in greenville to honor a police officer killed in the line of duty. the greenville police department is putting together the vigil for 28 year old allen jacobs, a father of two with one on the way and a decorated war veteran. authorities say he was shot and killed while questioning a 17 year old self proclaimed gang member on friday. the teenager ended up killing himself. jacob's funeral is thursday. police in monroe are asking for your help to find a robber with a unique tattoo. they say this man handed a net to the teller at the first citizens on west roosevelt boulevard just before noon. police say he didn't show a gun but indicated he had one. authorities say the robber has

his eyes that could make him easily identified. dramatic scene over the safety of drinking water. people playing dead in uptown streets. tonight we are going to the state for answers and asking top officials if they would feel safe drinking the water once called unsafe. >> we had a beautiful day today with sun filled skies. the temperatures got close to 60. our current temperature is the high at 58, still well below average. it will be cold quickly when the sun comes down. how much of a chill is in place for your evening plans, straight ahead. >> two weeks after two men were killed in a fiery head on crash on this road local leaders approximate urban league for safety improvements.

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local rescue crews called this the worst crash they have ever seen. chester county leaders are calling on the state to make the highway safer. >> the stretch of highway 9 at turn buckle road has been known as dead mans curve for years and tonight our eye wilt news reporter greg suskin asked officials what changes they could make. >> reporter: an american flag waves from the spot where two lost their lives. clover police officer tanner davis is mike's son. he says his father only drove local trucking routes so he could be home every night. >> i don't remember him missing a football game or spelling bee. we were best friends. >> reporter: he plans to speak before chester county council hoping that possible changes to the road could save lives.

this tragedy led to someone else being helped or saved, that would help him rest easier. >> reporter: the crash two weeks ago caused the van he was driving to burst into flames and logs fell from davis' truck and were thrown across the road. you can see the mark where the burning van came to rest. >> i heard the loudest explosion i have ever heard in my life. >> reporter: some say inattentive drivers cause the crashes, not the highway. >> it was on my side more than their side. i had to hit the shoulder of the road. >> reporter: at least six deaths are remembered by mcmahan in his lifetime. county officials want d.o.t. to study the area and determine if widening highway 9, straightening it, or taking another step could make a difference. >> d.o.t.

to be looking at crash numbers and study lay out, geometry, signage on highway 9 at turn buckle road to figure out if there are any improvements they can make. north carolina attorney general wants the the government to do more to protect students trapped by predatory loans. the process is too confusing and it is difficult for students to get help. he and 18 other attorneys general called for changes including eliminating time limits for fraud victims to apply for release and faster case reviews. project l.i.f.t. says they can continue beyond next school year. they have enough money to through through 2017-2018 school year. sponsors are helping with the first five year project meant to improve academics in west charlotte. reading and math scores have not really improved despite the efforts.

welcoming spring with some snow. you can see flurries coming down in providence, rhode island, up to six inches fell across the region. that's not as much as the ten inches initially forecast. the good news is it is expected to melt quickly as temps warm up later this week. our meteorologist keith monday is with us this evening. our mountains saw weekend snow and we have a threat of freezing temps. >> it will be cold quickly tonight. the mountains had flurries yesterday. it didn't add to anything. the ski resorts are still making snow, trying to tap into some late season skiing. we are at 58 in charlotte, the high for the day. tonight there is a match up with the hornets and the spurs tonight. it will be a chilly evening with temps falling fast in the mid 40s by 9:00. most of us will fall at least close to freezing as we head out the door tomorrow morning.

now in charlotte with temps in upper 20s north and west. we have much more of a hard freeze in the mountains but it is less unusual for you this time of year, no freeze warnings there. even though you may not hit freezing down south, you still have a frost advisory in effect tonight as cold temperatures will be there out the door. by 9:00 tomorrow morning we are in the 40s. it's a quick warm up. we are back in the mid 60s tomorrow afternoon. that's pretty much our average for this time of year for your tuesday. we are looking to full sunshine, quiet weather expected for a good chunk of the week and the temperatures will just keep climbing back up. in boone your neighborhood will start chilly and you will end up in mid 50s, making improvements from today. it is still cool in the mountains but we are back to more of a seasonal average. in chester tomorrow afternoon we'll be warming closer to 70 degrees already and many of us will hit the 70s as we head through this week. to wednesday and -- for

are back. we jump back above average, not the 80s from last week. this warm spell is relatively short lived with more clouds. thursday and friday we go back to average but i don't see major spikes up or down through the week. at 5:30 i will detail futurecast and when the storm system will be here thursday and how much of a wet weather impact it will have on our plans as we head into the week. follow us with the latest updates at any time with our tv weather app downloaded free from app store and google play. phi. day forecast -- five day forecast, there is a big spike wednesday and thursday with mid 70s. look at the nighttime numbers, in the 50s for the end of the week. that's with the rain chance very late thursday evening and wraps up quickly early friday morning. >> from the heavy coats to the light jackets. >> it's not going to be the big extremes we had last week but things are evening out after tonight.

on the run for days. after cutting off his ankle monitor channel 9 is pushing for answers about why he was released in the first case. a former cmpd dispatcher found shot to death. the search to find his killer. we are asking why he was targeted. >> your yearly grocery bills could sky rocket $1000. the fight over food labels that could cost you. >> not a lot of movement on

has a winning streak for a a food labeling fight in congress could cost you more next time you go grocery shopping. a bill that would ban mandatory food labeling law stalled in the senate last week. some call it a win for consumers who want to know if food is genetically modified but the grocery manufacturers' association says creating state by state labels would be expensive for companies. grocery costs could sky rocket for more than $1000 a year for families. >> it will soon wreak havoc on the flow of interstate commerce on agriculture and food products in every supermarket,

main street of every community in america. >> the environmental group argues food companies change their labels all the time without passing the cost to consumers. abc news did a poll last year asking people about genetically modified foods and labeling. it found 93% of people believe the federal government should require labels saying whether it's been genetically modified. we put a poll on our facebook page asking what you think. like us on facebook and take the poll. charlotte's budget committee will take a second look at a controversial trash plan that's upset many people in apartments and condos. it would eliminate pickups at complexes with more than four units. people have packed into forums speaking against this. they say it is not fair for them to pay more fees on top of taxes but some say it will save nearly $4 million a year. charlotte's fire department

look at how to knock down a fire. they practiced fire fighting at this home in south charlotte today. the county bought the home because it is near the flood prone mcmullen creek and set it on fire. they say this provides training for firefighters and saves money for demolition. we have all new stories in three minutes. concerns over contaminated drinking water have people playing dead in the middle of uptown. >> i am really concerned about the water that may neighbors drink, that i drink. >> we asked top state leaders who stand by the safety if they'd drink it themselves. >> a new debit card for kids as young as eight years old. action 9 investigates the access austrianser could have to young children. >> a man charged with attempted murder has been on the run for 48 hours after he cut off his ankle monitor.

for answers a charlotte man accused of violent crimes on the run after cutting off his electronic monitor. >> it's actually kind of concerning. >> channel 9 is pushing for answers to find out why he was ever let out of jail in the

>> facing several charges including attempted first degree murder. >> he has been on the run for 48 hours. today our eyewitness news anchor pushed police and the courts to figure out why he was let out and what they're doing to find him. >> reporter: he was last tracked here along busy university city boulevard. that was 48 hours ago. now many people are wondering why he was allowed out with an electronic monitor in the first place. the 28 year old has had an electronic monitor for a year and a half after he and another man were charged with attempted first degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. they're accused of robbing a man and shooting him in the stomach. >> i would have not let him out. >> when you do something like this, why would it stop him doing it a second time. >> reporter: records show he is ordered a convicted felon and could be released after posting

monitor until his trial which is pending. >> it creates a huge public safety issue. >> i think it sets a very dangerous precedent for community safety. >> reporter: a cmpd spokesman told me they enforce and track monitors after a court order. he isn't the only one who has cut his off. so far this year, 20 suspects cut their monitor. at the same time last year, 15 had. last year a total of 78 cut their monitor compared to 43 in 2014. i just checked active warrants online. he does not have one. i e-mailed cmpd to ask why and i have not yet heard back. liz foster, channel 9, eyewitness news. >> here is another look at the