North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog

Early this morning, a Sky Express tour bus which departed out of Greensboro, North Carolina, crashed, killing 4 and injuring at least 50 others. Police cite driver fatigue as the cause of the wreck.

The tour bus, which left North Carolina at 10:30pm on Monday, was on its way to Chinatown in New York City. The bus veered off I95 north of Richmond, Virginia and hit an embankment, causing it to overturn.

According to USA Today, records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation) reveal that Sky Express has one of the lowest safety ratings of all motorcoach carriers. In the last 2 years, Sky Express has been cited for 24 fitness violations that were bad enough that drivers were prohibited from driving until the problems were remedied. An additional 46 violations were issued for violating rules governing the length of time a driver can be behind the wheel, and violations of logbook requirements.

Continue reading "Driver Fatigue Blamed In Crash That Killed 4, Injured 50" »

The driver of a tour bus involved in a deadly crash on I95 in New York City is now under federal investigation. Ophadell Williams was driving a tour bus with 31 passengers, from casinos in Connecticut back to Chinatown in Manhattan when he crashed, killing 15 people, and injuring the rest.

Williams told investigating officers that his bus had been clipped by a tractor trailer tuck, causing him to swerve to the right, sideswipe a guardrail for 300 feet, and ultimately crash into a support pole for a highway sign which sheared through the bus, tearing the roof off.

But passengers are telling a different story, prompting an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). An investigating officer, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, stated that passengers aboard the bus noted that the driver had swerved several times prior to the crash, and further, they did not feel any impact before the crash. This officer also interviewed other drivers on I95 at the time of the crash and no one saw the bus get hit. He also reported that the driver had an incomplete log book, something that is required for commercial drivers. Another source said Williams was speeding.

Continue reading "Driver in Fatal Crash under Federal Investigation" »

When people hear the term Driving While Impaired, or Driving Under the Influence, they usually think alcohol is involved, however, North Carolina law also includes operating under the influence of impairing substances, both legal and illegal. A school bus driver in Randolph County has been charged with speeding and driving left of center, and the pending toxicology tests could result in more charges.

The driver admitted taking a sedating allergy medicine the night before he crashed a school bus occupied by students. The bus hit a mailbox before careening down a ditch. One student suffered minor injuries.

If you or a family member has been injured due to an impaired driver, call Auger & Auger for your free consultation to see how we can help.

News Channel 7 and Blue Ridge Now report that six people were injured Monday in Henderson, North Carolina in two separate accidents in which drivers fell asleep while driving. This resulted in road closures in both cases.

The first accident occurred at approximately 10:45 Monday morning. Investigators state that Jeremy Parker was driving with a revoked license and was driving while impaired when his Dodge Neon crossed the center line, striking an oncoming Honda Pilot. Both vehicles flipped over, and both the driver and passenger of the Honda were trapped and had to be extricated. All three people remain at Mission Hospital, with the driver of the Honda in critical condition. Investigators declined to state what substance Parker was under the influence of.

The second accident occurred a few hours later, at approximately 5:30 pm. Highway Patrol states that Robert Perry Stevenson fell asleep and crossed the center line on U.S. 64, hitting a Lincoln MKZ head-on. Troopers had to extricate all victims, and Stevenson was airlifted to Mission Hospital.

North Carolina Males More Likely to Fall Asleep

A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in conjunction with the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) found that 75% of all accidents in North Carolina involving drivers who fell asleep at the wheel involved males. The study also found that drivers under the age of 30 caused nearly two-thirds of fall asleep accidents, yet this segment of the population only accounts for one fourth of licensed drivers. The study suggested that young males were at the highest risk for falling asleep at the wheel due to physical changes in maturity that increase the need for sleep, and insufficient sleep.