Fayetteville, North Carolina (N.C.) police say a motorcyclist was killed and a second person was injured after traffic accident on Bragg Boulevard. The wreck happened about 9:55 p.m. at the Barrington Cross intersection near downtown.
Robert Nichols, 41, of Belcamp, North Carolina and Ted Sarbaugh, 42, of the 3700 block of Stone Street in Hope Mills, N.C. were both riding on Harley Davidson motorcycles, while crusing down Bragg Boulevard. Investigators have reported that 2005 Ford pickup truck, driven by Walter Brannen, 71, of Rivercliff Road, turned onto the road from Barrington Cross causing Nichols’ motorcycle to slam into the back of Brannen’s truck. In addition, Sarbaugh lost control of his Harley as it fell over and threw him off the motorcycle.
Unfortunately, Nichols died at the accident scene while Sarbaugh was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, in critical condition according to a Fayetteville police news release. Currently, there have been no charges filed. However, police are still investigating the motorcycle accident.
Although we do not know Robert Nichols, our prayers go out to his family and friends in their time of grief. Our thoughts are with the Sarbaugh family as well. Motorcycles are often overlooked on our highways and because of that they are involved in a much higher percentage of serious, if not fatal traffic accidents.
Since motorcyclists are amongst the most vulnerable on North Carolina highways I have gathers some simple driving tips to hopefully avert disaster for you if you find yourself in a situation such as this.
Motorcycle Safety Tips
- Wear a motorcycle helmet. Research statistics show that huge numbers of motorcyclists escape death by wearing helmets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that helmets reduce the likelihood of crash fatality by 37 percent.
- Wear the appropriate gear for protection and be clearly visible to other motorists.
- Avoid riding when very fatigued and take regular short breaks from driving. Drowsiness and fatigue can seriously impair a motorcyclist’s reflexes and situational awareness.
- Obey the traffic laws and … don’t speed!
- Perform a motorcycle safety inspection before each ride. Accidents often occur because of mechanical problems.
- Enroll in a motorcycle training courses. This is a good way of developing riding skills.
As with all serious injury cases, it is especially crucial to seek out professional legal advice in motorcycle accident injury cases and we have the experienced injury attorneys to evaluate your claim. Our firm is ready to assist you in reviewing your specific situation to see if your claim meets our criteria. In North Carolina, as well as every other state, there are laws on how long you have to file a suit also. Don’t hesitate, call our toll free number and get confidential legal advice.