Most North Carolina drivers need little reminding when it comes to the dangers of drunk driving, yet there appears to be those few out there who need a little more reminding than others. Hopefully for one High Point man, the fact that his negligence ended in the loss of life may be the reminder he needs to never be drunk and get behind the wheel of a vehicle ever again.
Just a few days before this post was written, the 31-year-old High Point man was involved in a serious car accident; an accident police believe was a result of drinking and driving.
According to reports, two vehicles were travelling eastbound along Interstate 40. The 31-year-old driver, believed to be intoxicated at the time of the incident, is said to have swerved into the second vehicle, being driven by a 38-year-old man from Tennessee. The force of the impact was enough to send both vehicles careening off the interstate, possibly rolling as they went, landing overturned in the end.
When emergency crews arrived on the scene, both cars were nothing more than a tangle of metal and broken glass. Tragically, the 38-year-old Tennessee man was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered severe trauma throughout his entire body. The 31-year-old driver in the other vehicle however, was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Although police have charged the 31-year-old driver for driving while impaired, it is not clear at this time if they will press further charges. If not, this could make the victim’s surviving family members feel a sense of injustice in the case. It is likely that they would want to see the man held responsible for his negligent actions, including facing charges of vehicular homicide. In a case such as this, it’s important for families to remember that they have to right to seek compensation from guilty parties and that they would be well advised to do so when the time comes.
Source: The News Observer, “1 dead, 1 facing DWI charge after I-40 wreck in Durham,” Feb. 17, 2013
