A small careless error or a lapse of judgment can lead to major damage and injury. This appears to have been the case in Watauga County, North Carolina (NC), when a Ford F-150 crossed into the path of oncoming traffic, hit a Volvo 740 head on and sideswiped a Chevy Trailblazer. At least two people were injured in the wreck on Meat Camp Road on July 19, 2011, according to WataugaDemocrat.com.
The accident caused the Volvo to roll over, injuring and trapping its elderly female. Also, a woman in the Chevrolet required hospital treatment for injuries. The pickup driver did not appear to be injured, and it’s not clear why he crossed a center line or if he’ll face charges.
As experienced North Carolina road accident injury attorneys, we see numerous accidents in which a driver crosses a center line. Earlier this year I reported on a Granville County school bus that was involved in a wreck after a truck apparently crossed the center line and struck the bus at the intersection of Watkins Wilkinson Road and U.S. Highway 15 near Oxford, NC.
Such accidents often prove fatal. As one of my Carolina law firm colleagues wrote on this site, a Sampson County, NC, man, was charged with Driving while intoxicated and reckless driving after his pickup truck hit an oncoming car on NC 242 and killed the other driver. The pickup driver had crossed a center line as he exited a curve.
When a driver crosses into oncoming traffic, it means he or she is not in control of the vehicle or has been distracted. Excess speed is often to blame. If the wrong-way driver causes an accident, a victim may have grounds for making a personal injury claim. We can advise clients on a number of issues including how the statute of limitations affects claims in North Carolina.
DM