One person is dead after a two-car crash on Western Boulevard Extension in Jacksonville, North Carolina (NC), on Thursday, February 23, 2012. The victim, 49- year old Rachel Dawn Pate, was a backseat passenger in a taxi that collided with another car as the cab driver was attempting to make a turn onto North Plain Road. The cabbie, Elwood Tyndall McCoy Jr., evidently turned into the path of the other vehicle.
Mrs. Pate was transported to the hospital, where she later died. The driver of the taxi has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and unsafe movement violation. Investigators say McCoy failed to yield the right of way.
My deepest sympathies go out to the Pate family. They have suffered a devastating loss and the worst of it is that it could have been prevented.
My colleagues and I have seen firsthand the devastation and heartache caused by accidents like this. They often cause serious personal injury or even death and we interact with devastated loved ones to try and help pick up the pieces of their lives.
To help, our firm published a legal guide on the wrongful death claim process in North Carolina. The guide is free to download and will be sent to your e-mail in PDF format.