North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A number of people were injured on Thursday when their vehicles were struck by a driver who trying to avoid getting a citation for a traffic violation. Now, Christopher Cyr, 20, faces charges of careless and reckless driving, felony hit-and-run, driving without a license, felony fleeing to elude officers, possession of drug paraphernalia, and running a red light while allegedly causing several North Carolina car crashes.

At around 12:45pm yesterday, Durham Police Officer R. L. Green reportedly tried to stop Cyr, who was driving a 1996 Chevrolet pickup truck. The Raleigh resident drove into a Hog Heaven parking lot but then left as Green exited his police car.

Cyr then drove onto an Interstate 85 South entrance ramp where he hit a Toyota Camry. Police were not chasing Cyr when the Durham car crash happened. The Toyota’s driver sustained minor injuries.

Cyr entered the freeway, exiting through the Hillandale Road exit where he is accused of running a red light and crashing into a work van driven by Durham resident Matthew Furtick. The van then crashed into a 2001 Toyota Tacoma, driven by 63-year-old Burlington resident David Donovan, before going across the median and rolling over a Durham police car driven by Officer B. T. Francis.

Francis, Furtick, and Donovan were treated for injuries.

North Carolina Car Accidents
If you were injured in a North Carolina motor vehicle crash, it is important that you document as much as you can about what happened, including when and where the collision happened and who was involved. You should also obtain the contact information of the other motorists, as well as any witnesses.

Do NOT speak with the other party’s insurer without consulting with a Durham car accident law firm first. Many times, a negligent motorist’s insurance company will try to get you to settle your North Carolina motor vehicle claim before you even have an opportunity to find out about the extent of your injuries and damages, as well as how much your medical expenses, rehabilitation services, and lost wages will cost.

Man Fleeing From Traffic Stop Causes Five Accidents, DurhamCountyMyNC.com, January 14, 2010

Durham officer injured in chase, WRAL.com, January 14, 2010

Related Web Resources:
What to do after a car accident, MSN

NCDOT Division of Motor Vehicles

Continue reading "Several People Injured in Durham Car Crashes Involving Driver Who Was Fleeing From Police " »

Following Friday’s winter storm, it is important that South Carolina and North Carolina motorists be extra careful when driving in such dangerous road conditions. Black ice can be found on city and county roads, as well as overpasses and bridges, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and State Highway Patrol doesn’t expected the treacherous conditions to disappear.

Motorists cannot do anything to improve the road conditions or the weather, but they are still responsible for driving safely to and from their destinations. With such hazardous road conditions to contend with, drivers cannot afford to drive drunk, text while driving, talk on a handheld cellular device, speed, or engage in any other form of distracted driving or careless motor vehicle operation. One reckless or careless act can lead to a North Carolina car crash that can cause serious injury, perhaps even destroying someone’s life.

In the event that you or someone you love is seriously injured in a North Carolina car accident or a South Carolina motor vehicle collision, do not hesitate to contact our Charlotte, North Carolina auto crash lawyers to schedule your free consultation.

Driving Safely in Snow and Ice:

• Winterize your auto.
• When necessary, use tire chains or winter tires.
• Drive slower than you usually would and adjust your speed to the road conditions.
• Pay attention.
• When slowing down to stop or turn, do so three times earlier than your normal routine.
• Keep a safe distance with the vehicle in front of you.
• Make sure your windows are clean and clear.
• Be on the lookout for extra wet or icy patches on the road.

Snowstorm cleanup in the Carolinas, Count on News2, December 21, 2009

Icy roads, closed schools in western N.C., Charlotte Observer, December 20, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Preparing for Winter Driving – How to Drive in Snow and Ice, SafeMotorist

Winter Driving Tips, AAA Exchange

On December 4, the Governor's Highway Safety Program presented the “Tree of Life,” which is dedicated to the people that were killed in North Carolina car accidents in 2008. The tree stands on the State Capitol lawn in Raleigh and is decorated with 1,453 lights. 440 of the lights are red to note the people that were killed by drunk drivers.

Friday also marked the beginning of North Carolina's “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, which runs until January 3, 2010 and targets drunk drivers. Throughout the US this holiday season, federal and local safety and enforcement officials will be participating in similar initiatives to prevent drunk driving accidents.

On Monday, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reminded drivers that there is nothing wrong with having fun as long as you don’t drive when you are drunk. While the national drunken driving rate dropped 7% between 2007 and 2008, too many people are still getting killed in drunk driving accidents.

Drunk driving accidents are preventable.

Nationwide, the drunk driving campaign "Over the Limit. Under Arrest” began yesterday and runs through the holiday season. Some $7 million in national radio and TV ads will air from December 16, 2009 – January 7, 2010 to remind people not to drive while impaired.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were:

• Out of the 1,231 North Carolina motor vehicle deaths in 2008, 423 of the North Carolina car accident victims died in collisions involving alcohol-impaired motorists.
• 1,676 North Carolina traffic deaths in 2007.
• 497 2007 North Carolina car accidents deaths involving drunk drivers.
• 403 South Carolina drunk driving fatalities in 2008.
• 920 2008 South Carolina car accident deaths.
• 403 South Carolina drunk driving fatalities in 2008.
• 464 South Carolina drunk driving fatalities in 2007.
• 1,077 2007 South Carolina car accident deaths.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Intensive Holiday Drunk & Impaired Driving Crackdown & Advertising Blitz, NHTSA, December 7, 2009

Drunken driving fatalities down 7% in USA, USA Today, December 7, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Fatalities and Fatality Rates in Alcohol- Impaired-Driving Crashes by State, 2007-2008, NHTSA (PDF)

Governor's Highway Safety Program

Continue reading "“Tree of Life” Remembers 1,453 North Carolina Car Accident Victims that Died in 2008 as State Troopers Get Ready for "Booze It & Lose It” Campaign" »

According to statistical projections provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for January – June 2009, about 16,626 people died in US traffic crashes. This figure is a 7% decline compared to the first half of last year when there were 17,871 traffic deaths.

Meantime, the Federal Highway Administration is reporting that the number of vehicle miles traveled for this time period went down compared to last year by approximately 6.1 billion miles. The fatality rate for the first six months also went down from 1.23 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2008 to 1.15 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2009.

While any decline in the number of traffic deaths is always positive news, there are still many people who are dying or getting hurt in motor vehicle accidents.

At around 12:45 am on Monday, 22-year-old Claudia Gonzales sustained fatal injuries when driver Victor Manuel Pena lost control of the 1996 Mazda A3S they were riding. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say the car went off the road, struck a power pole and crosswalk signal, and rolled over a number of times.

Gonzales, who was partially thrown from the vehicle during the Charlotte car accident, was trapped under the vehicle. She was pronounced dead while at Carolinas Medical Center.

Pena, who was treated for his injuries at the same hospital, faces felony death by vehicle and driving while intoxicated charges. This would not be the 25-year-old motorist's first drunk driving offense.

In a few weeks, Pena is scheduled to be tried for DWI over an incident in Union County, North Carolina.

Last month, 18-year-old Logan Stroud died in a Kannapolis car accident when another vehicle struck his Chevy S10 pickup truck on the driver’s side. His truck rolled down an embankment close to the intersection of Kannapolis Parkway and Highway 73. Police are dealing with conflicting reports over who had the green light.

Throughout South Carolina and North Carolina, our Charlotte car accident lawyers represent injury victims and their families.

Police: Witness drove away from fatal wreck, WCNC, September 25, 2009

DWI suspect faces similar charge in Union, Charlotte Observer, October 6, 2009

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half of 2009, NHTSA, October 2009 (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Federal Highway Administration

North Carolina Department of Transportation

Earlier this week, our North Carolina car accident lawyers posted a story about a ballet dancer who died from injuries she sustained in a Raleigh auto collision because Wake County doctor Raymond Cook ran a red light.

Elena Bright Shapiro was 20. Cook, who was allegedly drunk when the deadly North Carolina car accident happened, is charged with second-degree murder over the Raleigh traffic crash.

On Saturday, a Raleigh red light running crash claimed another life when Asheville resident James Howard Early failed to stop his vehicle as is required by law and ran into the vehicle that 28-year-old Christopher Raynor was riding in at the intersection of Westgate and Lumley roads early in the morning.

Raynor was scheduled to get married later that day. He and his groomsmen were going to breakfast together when the deadly Raleigh car accident happened.

Because Raynor wasn’t wearing a seat belt, he was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. His body was then struck by another motor vehicle.

Police have charged Early with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and a red light violation.

Both Raynor and Shapiro were in the prime of their lives that ended suddenly because other people were allegedly negligent. It is hard enough to lose someone you love for any reason. It can be even harder to cope with that loss when you believe that your loved one would be alive today if only another party hadn’t behaved recklessly or carelessly.

Filing a Raleigh car accident claim won’t bring your loved one back, but it can help you obtain the compensation that you are owed for your loss. Obtaining Raleigh wrongful death recovery can help cover some of the financial costs that can result from losing a family member, including hospital bills, funeral expenses, income loss, and other losses.

Family, friends remember groom killed on wedding day, 2nct.com, September 17, 2009

Memorial planned for groom killed on wedding day, WRAL, September 15, 2009

Related Web Resource:
The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running