Morrisville man missing for two weeks after car crash found alive, officials say

A Morrisville man has been found alive more than two weeks after he went missing after a car crash.

Dale Wheeler, 56, had been missing since he crashed on Church Street near Interstate 540 on Nov. 12, according to the Morrisville Police Department.

At the time, officers found the keys still inside of his car, along with “a little bit of blood,” The News & Observer reported. The windshield had been cracked by “a blunt strike,” police said.

Denise Spinelli, a friend of Wheeler, said at the time he had crashed into a utility trailer. The crash occurred just four miles from his home, she added.

Wheeler, an IT worker at a Durham company, was first reported missing after failing to show up for work two days in a row.

But on Sunday, a family member confirmed to The N&O that Wheeler was alive and being treated at a hospital.

Nicole Andersen, Wheeler’s niece, also tweeted that he was in stable condition. She told The N&O the family is unable to comment on what had happened to Wheeler until they know more about the situation.

Morrisville police said Sunday they received a call for a welfare check at Wheeler’s home around 7:40 a.m.

Officers found Wheeler in his living room, where he was “alert, conscious and did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries,” according to a police news release.

Officials said detectives are continuing to investigate, and declined to provide further information on what had occurred over the past two weeks.

Wheeler’s disappearance spurred family, friends and community members to organize search parties and hand out flyers earlier this month.