Craven County Crash Kills Two Maryland Women on Highway 17 | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

North Carolina State Troopers reported that two Maryland women died in a head-on accident last Sunday night in Craven County. The crash occurred on Highway 17, just north of Vanceboro, North Carolina (N.C.).

The victims killed in this tragic accident were Lorriane Boboteck, the driver of the southbound vehicle and Christina Sonn, the driver of the northbound vehicle. Troopers say Boboteck was trying to pass another car and hit the northbound car.  Six other people were injured in the crash, but none of their injuries were life-threatening.

It’s very sad to lose a loved one while they are on the road due to a fatal car crash. Tragically, head-on collisions happen all too frequently without any advance notice. As personal injury lawyers we understand the dangers of the road all too well. Here are some facts in regards to head-on collisions. It is our hope that once armed with this information, it may prevent you from one day having to experience a loss such as this or perhaps putting your loved one through such emotional trauma.

The 1999 statistics from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicate that 18 percent of non-interchange, non-junction fatal crashes were two vehicles colliding head-on. The percentage was the same for 1997 and 1998 data. In addition, these data reveal that:

  • 75 percent of head-on crashes occur on rural roads
  • 75 percent of head-on crashes occur on undivided two-lane roads
  • 83 percent of two-lane undivided road crashes occur on rural roads

The high percentage of head-on crashes on rural, undivided, two-lane roads might suggest that many head-on crashes relate to failed passing maneuvers. However, in nearly all cases, fatal head-on crashes occur in non-passing situations. Of 7,430 vehicles involved in head-on crashes on two-lane, undivided roadway segments, only 4.2 percent involved a vehicle “passing or overtaking another vehicle” (1999 data). The corresponding percentage for rural roads was 4.3 percent. These low fatal-crash percentages are corroborated by two studies performed by the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Highway Safety Information System (HSIS). According to the studies, all crashes were either passing related or occurred in no-passing zones.

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