Two passengers of a car involved in a police chase are dead after the driver smashed the vehicle into a tree.
The incident began at the intersection of McKenzie and Graham Road in Pinehurst when a patrol officer observed the car drive through a stop sign, at approximately 9 p.m. Friday night. The officer began following the vehicle, which continued to drive down McKenzie Road, then on Murdocksville Road. It was at this point the officer stopped the car. As he approached the vehicle, the driver sped off.
The officer got back into his patrol car and began chasing the vehicle. At one point during the pursuit, the suspect’s car hit a trailer, which was attached to a truck, but continued to drive off. The police officer stopped, determined the truck driver was okay, and then drove off after the car again.
When the officer reached Juniper Road, he came upon the scene of the fatal crash. The suspect vehicle had run off the road and into the tree.
Pronounced dead at the scene were a 29-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, both from Pinehurst. The driver of the car, a 25-year-old man also from Pinehurst, was airlifted to UNC Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition.
Investigators have already determined that alcohol was involved in causing the crash and charges against the driver are pending.
Family members of the victims say that the female passenger had three young children. A fourth child was also killed in a car wreck a couple of years ago. Not only are the two people who were killed in this accident victims of a drunk driver, those children – who are now without a mother – are also victims.
Any family who has lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident should contact a North Carolina wrongful death attorney to find out what legal recourse they may have against the driver for their pain and loss.