Our law firm recently published a blog talking about the fact that North Carolina highway patrol troopers are involved in seven car wrecks per week. Unfortunately, the NC troopers continue to follow that statistical pattern.
In two separate accidents involving NC police, three people were killed. The first accident involved a police car following a pickup truck that ran a stop sign at the intersection of Barnette Street and Parrish Drive in Kings Mountain, NC. A young man named Larry Smith either fell or jumped off the back of the truck and the police car ran over him, according to wbtv.com.
An investigation is taking place to determine if the officer had any lights or sirens on at the time of the fatal accident. Charges against the office could be filed if it is determined the officer acted negligently.
The second accident took place in High Point, NC when a Highway Patrol trooper spun around to chase a speeding Buick Skylark going the opposite direction on Interstate Business 85 (I-85). When the trooper made the turn, he wound up slamming into a car driven by a 56-year-old woman named Sandy Allmond and carrying an 11-year-old girl and two young boys. Both Mrs. Allmond and the 11-year-old girl died from the car crash. The two young boys are currently in intensive care, according to wxii12.com.
“Is two lives and two kids in ICU worth getting a speeding ticket?” asked Gerald Almond, the son of Mrs. Allmond and the father of the 11-year-old girl. “To me it’s not. It’s my mother and my baby.”
Both of these accidents are tragic and my heart goes out to all of the loved ones affected. Hopefully, the investigations conducted in both circumstances will shed some light on what exactly happened and if any steps can be taken in the future to avoid duplicating such horrific incidences.