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.

Continue reading "3 Passengers Ejected, Toddler Dies, Driver Charged" »

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.

Continue reading "Three Teens Ejected From Truck Following Drunk Driving Crash" »

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.

Continue reading "Car Accident In Union County Leaves 1 Teen Dead, 4 Injured" »

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" »

The Charlotte, North Carolina car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger remind you that North Carolina Law requires that drivers and all passengers of a motor vehicle wear seatbelts, and that children under the age of 8 must be properly restrained in an appropriate car seat.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared the week of September 18-24, 2011 as Child Passenger Safety Week. According to Seatcheck.org, up to 70% of car seats are not properly installed. To find a child car seat inspection station near you, click here.

According to NHTSA, the leading cause of death for children between 3 to 14 years of age is motor vehicle accidents, and on average, 4 children die each day in a car accident. Of the 5,598 children killed in car accidents in 2008, 46% were not wearing seatbelts. NHTSA recommends that all children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat.

A North Carolina car accident has left a child in critical condition after being ejected from a vehicle. Four year old Gilbert Garcia Torres was thrown from a vehicle Sunday morning when a Toyota Camry hit a Ford Explorer so hard that it came to a rest on its side, with the ejected child trapped beneath it. Bystanders were able to lift the SUV off the child.

Police are still investigating and trying to determine how the child was ejected. North Carolina law requires the driver and all passengers of a motor vehicle to wear seatbelts, and all children under the age of 8 to be secured in a child passenger restraint system.

Hendersonville Police Captain Doug Jones reports that Torres' condition is improving.

Continue reading "4 Year Old In Critical Condition After Ejection From Vehicle" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared the week of September 19 through 25, 2010 as Child Passenger Safety Week, and Saturday, September 25 as National Seat Check Saturday.

According to NHTSA, the leading cause of death of children between the ages 3 to 14 is car accidents. The car accident attorneys of Auger & Auger want your children to be safe and encourage you to bring your vehicle, car seat, and child for a child safety seat inspection by a certified technician. If your child's car seat is improperly installed, the technician will demonstrate the proper way to install and use it.

NHTSA has also found that when properly used, child safety seats decrease fatalities in children under 1 year old by 71%, and 54% in children between the ages of 1 through 4. For more information on which restraint is appropriate for your child, click here.

Of the 45 children that died as the result of a car accident in North Carolina in 2008, more than half (25) were between the ages 8 through 14. North Carolina law requires all vehicle passengers under the age of 16 to wear a seatbelt, regardless of where they are sitting in the vehicle.

Our Charlotte North Carolina car accident attorneys continue to remind drivers to drive defensively and always wear seatbelts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just released its finding on motor vehicle accidents that occurred in 2009. According to their study, traffic deaths in 2009 were at their lowest rate since 1950. Despite an increase over 2008 in the estimated miles driven annually, traffic related fatalities in 2009 were 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles driven compared to 1.26 deaths per 100 million miles driven in 2008. Even motorcycle deaths were down, following an 11 year stretch of increasing every year.

In North Carolina, total traffic fatalities in 2009 decreased by 8% from 2008, and alcohol related fatalities dropped 14% from 2008. Alcohol related traffic fatalities in North Carolina represented 28% of all traffic fatalities in 2009, compared to 30% in 2008. The national average was a 9.7% decrease in total traffic fatalities from 2008 to 2009, and a 7.4% decrease in alcohol related traffic fatalities.

Despite the decrease in highway deaths, seatbelt use is still too low. The study found that of all traffic related deaths in 2009, more than half (53%) of the decedents were not wearing seatbelts. The study did not address whether those unrestrained victims would have survived had they been properly restrained.

Our Charlotte, North Carolina personal injury law firm cannot stress enough the importance of wearing your seatbelt and properly restraining young children. Countless lives can be saved with the simple act of buckling up.

As Charlotte, North Carolina car accident attorneys, we want to remind you that failure to wear a seatbelt is not only a traffic violation in the State of North Carolina, but can result in serious injury or death.

South Carolina Highway Patrol reports that four people were killed in a car accident last night when their Saturn went through a red light and was hit by a Volkswagen. Two of the four Saturn passengers were ejected from the vehicle. None of the Saturn passengers was wearing a seatbelt.

In a recent North Carolina car accident, another four people were killed when they failed to wear their seatbelts. In the one car collision in Wake County, the driver overcorrected after veering off the right shoulder, resulting in the car entereing the left shoulder where it overturned and hit a tree. North Carolina State Highway Patrol reported that the driver and his 3 passengers were all ejected from the vehicle.

Ironically, in spite of these recent deaths attributable to the failure to wear seatbelts, the North Carolina Department of Transportation recently released a report finding that seatbelt use actually rose to 89.7 percent in North Carolina in 2009, and that North Carolina ranks above the national rate of 83%.

North Carolina law and South Carolina law require all occupants of a motor vehicle to wear seatbelts.

To discuss your case with an experienced North Carolina personal injury lawyer, call Auger & Auger. Your consultation is free.

Our Charlotte, North Carolina car accident lawyers want to remind you to buck up. An annual survey conducted by the Governor's Highway Safety Program found that seatbelt usage in North Carolina rose slightly in 2009 from 89.5 to 89.7 percent. The national rate is 83 percent.

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, 431 of the 1,012 traffic related fatalities in 2009, nearly 43%, involved unrestrained drivers. North Carolina law requires that all occupants of a motor vehicle wear seatbelts.