A woman of Gastonia was the passenger riding along with an impaired driver who ultimately crashed and killed her in a one-car accident the other night. The driver was later charged with driving while impaired. The passenger didn’t have a chance as she was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital, where she died early in the morning of several injuries she received from the car crash. The passenger was only 26 years old and was riding in a 1995 Cadillac driven by a 37-year-old Man.
According to Gastonia Police, the driver lost control of the car, which ran off the left shoulder and then overturned into a creek. The driver was able to get out of the car, but the passenger was trapped and had to be removed by emergency personnel. The driver was also taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.
Accidents involving a death of anyone is tragic, especially someone so young and of no fault. Although the passenger made the decision to ride along with an impaired driver, it may not have been totally evident. What is known is that the driver made a poor decision in judgment by getting behind the wheel drunk and a young life has been lost. In 2006, of the 1,558 deaths from car accidents in North Carolina, a full 31% of all fatalities, or 421 people died in car crashes that were alcohol related.
BM