Losing a loved one in an accident that could have been prevented is certainly a tragic event. However, a recent death involving a 4-year-old North Carolina girl may be especially devastating for the community and for family members after police reported that the girl’s death may have been caused by a relative who was driving a tractor while he was allegedly impaired.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the fatal accident occurred Monday afternoon, just a day after Christmas. The Highway Patrol reported that the farm tractor rolled off a gravel road and into a creek near Thomasville. The driver of the tractor, a 50-year-old man believed to be a relative of the young girl, was not seriously injured in the incident.
According to reports, the man and the girl were riding a farm tractor on Albeck Drive, which runs off of Upper Lake Road. However, the farm tractor veered off of the gravel road and went down an embankment. The incident caused the tractor to overturn before it came to a stop in a creek.
The driver was treated at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. His injuries were minor and he may have already been released from the center. Unfortunately, the girl did not survive her injuries that she sustained in the tractor accident. She was pronounced dead at Thomasville Medical Center the day of the crash.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the driver of the tractor has been charged with driving while impaired. Other charges may be filed against the man since the accident caused the death of a child.
Source: The Dispatch, “Girl dies from tractor accident; family member charged with DWI,” Darrick Ignasiak, Dec. 27, 2011