North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog

A 2-ton box truck driving too fast around a bend in the road crashed into a school bus that was stopped with its red lights flashing. Fortunately for the student waiting to board, the bus driver saw the oncoming truck and did not open the doors, preventing the student from boarding. That student told police he saw the bus propelled forward 40 feet as he was nearing the bus to board.

Sixteen of the students onboard were rushed to Carolina East Medical Center.

Police have charged the truck driver, Sidney Roundtree, with No Operator's License and Unsafe Movement.

All drivers have a duty to maintain an appropriate speed for the conditions, to look out, and to follow the rules of the road.

It is hard enough dealing with the loss of a 12 year old child, but for the Sierra family of Asheboro, it came at the hands of a family friend. Reyna Patricia Valencia, a friend of the Sierra family that was visiting Asheboro from Phoenix, Arizona, was driving 12 year old Roland Sierra and his 14 year old brother, Jose Sierra, without their parents knowledge or permission. Valencia was driving at a high rate of speed and under the influence of alcohol when her car left the roadway, overturned, hit an embankment, and came to a final rest against a road sign. Roland, who police believe was not properly restrained, was killed in the accident.

Valencia is charged with 4 felonies, including Driving While Impaired, Death by Motorvehicle, and Involuntary Manslaughter. She is being held on $250,000 bond.

Continue reading "12 Year Old Dead in Wreck Caused by Drunk Driver" »

A drunk driver was killed and 6 other people were injured in a Charlotte, North Carolina car accident on Saturday. According to witnesses, David Cleary was seen weaving and speeding before he crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, striking another vehicle. Cleary's passengers, his girlfriend and her young children, were seriously injured in the crash. The driver of the car that Cleary hit, Richard McDonald, also had children in his car and he was also charged with Driving While Impaired, though police have not released his breath alcohol content.

It is a terrible thing, when a person decides to drive after drinking alcohol, but even worse when child passengers become innocent victims.

The North Carolina State Transportation Secretary recently announced that for the calendar year 2010, over 600,000 traffic and criminal citations were issued, including over 16,000 citations for driving while impaired.

If you or a loved one is injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, call the experienced car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger for your free consultation.

Ji Sheng Lu and his daughter, Jing Lu, were killed Wednesday morning in a Charlotte, North Carolina car accident involving a distracted driver. Ms. Lu's one-year old son, who was in a stroller, suffered serious injuries. The family was walking in their Charlotte neighborhood when Sharai Marie Bauer, driving on Corsica Forest Drive, took her eyes off the road to reach to the floorboard to recover something that had fallen. Witnesses told Charlotte Mecklenburg Police that the car swerved towards the Lu family, who was walking with traffic and close to the curb, and hit them from behind. According to local residents, drivers often speed on this road, which has a posted speed limit of 25mph.

Bauer has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle.

All drivers have a duty to maintain a proper lookout and maintain a safe distance. According to The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC), as many as 30% of all reported car accidents are due to driver distraction.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a distracted driver, call the experienced car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger for your free consultation.

NASCAR driver Michael Annett rear-ended another car in a Mooresville, North Carolina car accident. Annett admitted to police that he was distracted, and that he was texting on his cell phone while driving. Further investigation found that Annett had also been drinking and a breath alcohol test found him to have an alcohol level of 0.32% which is four times the legal limit.

This is not the first time Annett has caused a car accident while texting. According to NC State DMV records, Annett was involved in a similar accident several months ago with similar circumstances.

Annett, who has been charged with driving while impaired, texting while driving, and resisting an officer, has also been put on probation by NASCAR. NASCAR is requiring Annett to undergo evaluation by a certified substance abuse professional, as well as to undergo random drug and alcohol testing.

Texting while driving may be even more dangerous than drunk driving. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), over 1 million car crashes are the result of cell phone use while driving. The NSC estimates that 1.4 million car accidents annually are the result of drivers who were distracted by cell phone use, and another 200,000 wrecks caused by drivers who were actually texting while driving.

If you or a loved one is the victim of distracted driver, call the experienced car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger for your free consultation.