Durham Man Critically Injured in Collision on U.S. 70 | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

U.S. Highway 70 was closed down by Durham police for a brief period of time as they responded to a two vehicle collision. A 1992 Toyota driven by Theophilus Parker of Durham in the eastbound lane ran off the right side of U.S. 70, spinning out of control. The car came back across the eastbound lanes into the westbound lanes, where it collided with a 2009 Dodge driven by Tricia Ann Thomason of Durham.

Although Thomason was treated at the scene and released, Parker was taken to Duke University Hospital and has been listed in critical condition. U.S. 70 was closed between the Miami Boulevard/U.S. 70 Business split and East End Avenue for a little more than an hour. Responders had to divert traffic towards N.C. Highway 98. Authorities have not yet filed charges as the crash is still under investigation.

Head-on collisions, sideswipes, and run-off-road crashes all belong to a category of crashes called lane-departure or road-departure crashes. This is because they have similar causes, if different consequences. The driver of a vehicle fails to stay centered in their lane, and either leaves the roadway, or crosses the centerline, possibly resulting in a head-on or sideswipe collision, or, if the vehicle avoids oncoming traffic, a run-off-road crash on the far side of the road.

BM