'He took an angel out of this world’: hit-and-run victim’s son talks about crash

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Richard Sean Lesink of Wilmington has been charged with felony hit and run, among other charges in relation to the death of Sheila Faircloth, who was hit and killed on Carolina Beach Road Saturday night.

Lesink is also charged with driving while license suspended and operating a vehicle with a revoked registration for an insurance violation.

Benjamin Faircloth, Sheila Faircloth’s son spoke for the first time Thursday, about his mother and his disappointment surrounding Lesink’s charges.

“This would have been so much better if he had done the right thing, and for him too. A hit-and-run, that’s a felony, he’s got a lot of priors and how any magistrate, judge, whoever let him out, basically for $40,000, that’s a spit in my face,” Faircloth said.

According to NC Department of Corrections records, Lesink’s prior convictions include possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, felony breaking and entering, possession with intent to sell a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of stolen goods.

Faircloth said deputies told him Lesink stopped at a Scotchman to check his truck after the accident, and then took it to an auto shop in Leland to be repaired.

“Obviously he washed his truck off, went to go get it fixed, and obviously it didn’t turn out like he planned,” he said.

Faircloth said he wants to see Lesink charged with murder or vehicular manslaughter.

“He needs to sit in prison for a long time. He gets to walk around. My mother doesn’t get to do that anymore. That was my best friend, that was my best friend,” he said. “He shouldn’t have been driving in the first place. He had a revoked license, he had a revoked registration, if he was a law abiding citizen he wouldn’t have been on the road, this never would have happened.”

The lead prosecutor on the case was not able to comment on the case, as the investigation is still ongoing. She did say the New Hanover County District Attorney’s office is working with State Highway Patrol and the investigation is still in its early stages.

Faircloth said his mother was loved by everyone, was extremely generous, and made people laugh.

“She’d give you the shirt off your back. A lot of people say that, I mean that. She opened her home to people that didn’t have a place to stay all my life because she had that kind of heart,” he said.

He hopes to see more charges filed against Lesink after the hit-and-run that led to his mother’s death.

“He took my momma from me. I would have stopped for anybody had I done that. Anybody. That’s what good people do. That’s what you’re supposed to do as a human,” Faircloth said.

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