Many North Carolina teens are excited when they pass their tests to obtain valid drivers’ licenses for the first time. Getting behind the wheel of a car as a young driver is considered a milestone event and often cause for celebration among family and friends. As most motorists understand, driving a motor vehicle comes with a long list of obligations in order to act responsibly and maintain the safety of oneself and all who share the road. Whether inexperienced or a seasoned veteran, any driver who acts recklessly is a danger to others; such actions can lead to a minor or even fatal accident.
In a recent tragedy, the 16-year-old boy who was driving a vehicle had reportedly just gotten his first driver’s license that very day. In his car, was a passenger who was also age 16. Police say that they believe both excessive speed and driver inexperience to be causal factors in the horrible crash that took place.
Sadly, the young passenger in the car did not survive his injuries. Troopers say that the vehicle was apparently traveling at approximately 70 m.p.h. in a 45 m.p.h. zone when it went out of control and rolled into a nearby ditch. While authorities are awaiting results from toxicology tests, they have stated that they have no reason to believe that drugs or alcohol were determining factors in the collision.
Criminal charges are pending in North Carolina against the driver. There is no way to describe the grief experienced by those who learn that a loved one has been killed in a fatal accident that was caused by another person’s recklessness. In fact, in such circumstances, it is often difficult to think beyond that grief; however, immediate family members sometimes take comfort in knowing that they are able to seek justice on behalf of their deceased loved one by filing a wrongful death claim in a civil court.
Source: wlos.com, “Police ID Teen in Fatal Crash“, Kristy J. Steward, Dec. 10, 2015
