A fatal head-on collision in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (NC), illustrates two incontrovertible truths about deadly accidents and wrecks that leave drivers with severe, life-threatening injuries.
The first lesson from the car crash on Reynolds Road just before midnight on December 2, 2011, is that anyone can have his or her life ended or changed forever by a traffic accident. The other is that speeding puts everyone on the road at risk for wrecks.
The head-on collision involved a car being driven by 70-year-old NC State Rep. Larry Womble, who represents Forsyth County, and another vehicle operated by 54-year-old David Carmichael. Womble sustained critical injuries, and Carmichael lost his life. Both lived near the scene of the accident and had undoubtedly navigated the sharp curve where their cars collided countess times before. One slight miscalculation by either Womble or Carmichael, however, resulted in tragedy.
Police have not released full details on the cause of the accident, but residents of the neighborhood where the crash occurred told WXII-TV 12 that “there have been several major accidents there because drivers were going too fast around the curve.”
And that is the second lesson to take from this accident: Speed can kill. Reducing speed while moving through curves is essential for staying in one’s lane. As soon as a car, truck, SUV or van crosses the center line, an accident is likely.
As a Carolina personal injury attorney whose law firm regularly represents victims of head-on collisions, I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is for all drivers to stay in their own lanes when encountering oncoming traffic. I also offer my condolences to Carmichael’s friends and family and my hopes for a speedy recovery for Womble.
EJL