Huntersville Teacher Dies from North Carolina Car Accident Injuries

January 25, 2011, by Michael A. DeMayo

A 4th Grade teacher has died from serious injuries she sustained during a Huntersville car crash on NC 73 on Thursday morning. Aimee Elisabeth Powell was driving to work at Southlake Christian Academy when she was struck in a head-on crash by Dodge pickup truck.

Huntersville police say the two autos were moving at a speed of about 50 mph when the pickup truck, driven by Stephen Todd Richard, 19, crossed the center line and hit the 25-year-old teacher’s Pontiac. Powell was transported to Carolinas Medical Center where she died that night.

Authorities have yet to determine what caused Richard’s pickup truck to drive into opposing traffic. They don’t think that alcohol, drugs, or use of a cell phone contributed to the deadly Mecklenburg County car accident. However, criminal charges may be filed against Richard once police determine what caused the deadly collision. The 19-year-old also suffered serious injuries during the North Carolina head-on collision.

Head-On Crashes
Head-on collisions often result in fatalities. The abrupt manner in which they happen, with two vehicles colliding head-on into each other and then stopping abruptly doesn’t allow for much absorption of the force from the instant impact. Some of the more common causes of head-on car accidents include:

• Speeding
• Vehicle malfunction
• Accidentally driving over the center line
• Driving the wrong-way up a road
• Incorrect lane passing
• Drunk driving
• Drowsy driving
• Texting while driving
• Talking on a cell phone
• Falling asleep at the wheel
• Lane drifting

Teacher seriously injured in head-on collision, Charlotte Observer, January 21, 2010

Teacher Injured In Huntersville Crash Dies, WSOCTV, January 21, 2010