The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to a three-vehicle accident in Four Oaks that killed two people and injured three others on Sept. 17, and officers have charged one driver for his actions in the accident. The head-on collision reportedly occurred at about 1:40 p.m. near Lassiter Road on North Carolina Highway 210.
A 19-year-old man driving a Carolina Plumbing Inc. truck traveled west on the highway until he veered across the centerline and struck a Dodge Dakota. The impact spun the plumbing truck, and a car rear-ended that vehicle, wedging the car underneath it. The 81-year-old man driving the Dodge and his 79-year-old wife, who were both from Benson, died in the accident. The driver of the work truck, his 41-year-old male passenger, and the 52-year-old female driver of the other car all went to hospitals after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the plumbing truck faces charges for driving left of center and misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle, and the authorities are using surveillance footage from a nearby convenience store that captured the wreck and witness statements as part of their investigation. A North Carolina patrol sergeant reported that loss of focus on a two-lane highway can be dangerous and said a slight mistake can lead to an accident.
Small errors performed by distracted drivers could seriously injure or kill others on the road in otherwise preventable accidents. When a loved one is killed in a car crash, the family can seek compensation for expenses related to the wreck. A driver who ignored the rules of the road and crossed the centerline in a case like this could hypothetically be found liable for the plaintiff’s damages. The driver might also be found negligent if distracted by using a cell phone to text while driving.
Source: WTVD, “Charges filed in a double fatal accident that killed Johnston county couple”, Heather Waliga and Angelica Alvarez, September 18, 2014
