North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog

A Greensboro car accident has left two people hospitalized, and a toddler has died as the result of his injuries following ejection from the vehicle. On Thursday morning, North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to an accident near the Alamance-Guilford line on I40/85. The driver of the vehicle, Sherika Chandler, lost control of her vehicle, left the roadway, and flipped several times before coming to its final stop off of the roadway. Witnesses to the crash believe the front end of Chandler's vehicle was in close proximity to the rear of a tractor trailer truck, but that there was no impact.

Troopers report that three of the vehicles six occupants were ejected from the vehicle. The injured passengers were initially taken to Alamance Regional Hospital, but were ultimately airlifted to other local hospitals, including Moses Cone Hospital. One of the 2 year old passengers has died from his injuries, having been ejected from the vehicle. Chandler, who has prior charges for speeding, driving with license revoked, and multiple charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute a schedule III substance, sale and delivery of a schedule III substance, and possession with intent to distribute a schedule IV substance, has been charged with Driving with Revoked License, Failure to Maintain Lane Control, and Failure to Restrain a Child.

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A North Carolina drunk driving accident has left 3 teens hospitalized after being ejected from a vehicle Sunday night. North Carolina State Troopers report that 17 year old Keegan Robinson, a junior at East Carteret High School, was under the influence of alcohol when he was driving too fast, ran off the roadway, and over corrected, causing his pickup truck to strike a ditch and flip. Robinson and his two passengers, also high school students, were ejected from the vehicle. Charges against Robinson are pending.

All three teens were initially transported to Carteret General Hospital but were subsequently airlifted to New Hanover Regional Medical Center for treatment of multiple broken bones, internal injuries, and head injuries. As of Wednesday, Robinson was still unconscious and in critical condition.

Hundreds of people attended a prayer service Tuesday at Cedar Island United Methodist Church. Hopefully, the members of this tight-knit community can identify the person who provided alcohol to these teens so that they can be held accountable.

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In a completely preventable tragedy, a car accident in Union County took the life of Weddington High School student Riley Laymon. Four other students suffered serious injuries in the crash.

According to North Carolina State Troopers, a group of high school students were traveling on Antioch Road when the driver, 17 year old Robert Cooke III, lost control of the vehicle, a pickup truck, causing it to flip two times. Roads were wet Saturday, and Troopers believe Cooke was traveling too fast for conditions when he rounded a curve and went off the roadway, causing the truck to roll.

Cooke, who still had his provisional drivers license, was only lawfully allowed to have one passenger in the vehicle. He has been charged with Failure to Wear a Seatbelt, Failure to Comply with License Restrictions, and Misdemeanor Death by Motor Vehicle.

Four of the five passengers in this Cooke's pickup truck were not wearing seatbelts. Three of the teens were completely ejected from the vehicle, and a fourth teen was partially ejected. Only the belted teen was not ejected, and she only suffered minor injuries and has already been released from the hospital.

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A Raleigh drunk driving car accident has left one teenager dead and another in jail. The Raleigh Police Department has charged 16 year old Garrett Prince, a student at Millbrook High School, with Felony Death by Motor Vehicle, Driving While Impaired, Open Container of Alcohol, Possession of Marijuana, and Driving After Consuming Alcohol While Underage.

Fellow Millbrook High School student Elizabeth Molloy was killed when Prince rounded a curve at a high rate of speed and struck a tree. Police estimate that Prince was driving at approximately 75 miles per hour when he crashed. It is likely that Molloy would have survived the crash had she been wearing her seatbelt. Prince, who was also not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle.

The accident occurred around 2am Friday morning after the teens left a party in the neighborhood where Prince crashed. Police found several empty alcoholic beverage bottles in Prince's vehicle.

This accident is a tragedy that could easily have been prevented. It has been reported that Prince was driving with a provisional drivers license. Holders of a level 2 provisional license are prohibited from driving after 9 pm unless they are driving to or from work.

Continue reading "One Teen Dead, One Teen In Jail Following Raleigh Drunk Driving Accident" »

Newly licensed teens are at a much higher risk for being involved in a car accident in North Carolina. A new study shows that a newly licensed teenage driver in North Carolina is 2 times more likely to crash during their first month of solo driving than they are following 2 years driving experience. The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center was commissioned on behalf of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety to study the driving behavior of newly licensed drivers.

The study looked at 50 North Carolina families with teenagers applying for a learner's permit. Cameras were installed in their vehicles and recorded activity inside the car, and also activity in front of, and behind the vehicle. Parent interviews were conducted 10 times over the course of a year. The cameras monitored the teens while they were driving with their parents while they had their permits, as well as the first 6 months of solo driving with their provisional license. The study also analyzed the cause of crashes for newly licensed drivers in North Carolina.

In their analysis of the reasons why teens were crashing, they found 3 common behaviors:
-Failure to Reduce Speed
-Not Paying Attention
-Failure to Yield

Continue reading "Newly Licensed Teens At Much Higher Risk For Car Accident In North Carolina" »