A head-on collision on U. S. Highway 21 in State Road left the drivers of both vehicles involved in the crash dead and a passenger in one of the vehicles with critical injuries. The fatal collision happened just before noon on April 3.
According to witness accounts and the North Carolina Highway Patrol, a burgundy-colored car was reportedly traveling northbound at a high rate of speed when it crossed the center line in a no-passing zone and collided with a southbound silver vehicle. The sound of the collision was loud enough to be heard almost a mile away, according to a witness.
The two people who died were identified by authorities as a 73-year-old man from Canada and a 22-year-old from Glade Valley. An elderly female passenger who suffered critical but stable injuries was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Health for treatment and later released.
Emergency response personnel engaged safety measures to clean up the crash site as one of the cars involved in the collision was leaking fuel. Law enforcement personnel remained at the scene into the afternoon conducting an investigation into the accident.
When a fatal car accident caused by reckless driving behavior takes the life of a loved one, heirs and dependents may have a legal cause of action for wrongful death. Through such a claim, they may be able to recover compensation for actual costs arising from the tragic event, including medical and emergency care expenses and the costs of final services. They may also be able to pursue compensation for the value of economic losses they suffered when their loved one died. When initial efforts to recover compensation from those responsible for the crash fail, the survivors of accident victims may benefit from pursuing a wrongful death claim in civil court.
Source: mtairynews.com, “Identities released in fatal collision in State Road”, Tanya Chilton, April 03, 2014
