If you have been reading our Fayetteville personal injury law blog for some time now, you may have come to the conclusion that serious motor vehicle accidents happen all too often throughout North Carolina. Drunk drivers have caused fatal accidents. Distracted drivers have run over pedestrians. And truck drivers have been guilty of violating federal safety regulations.
These types of preventable motor vehicle accidents oftentimes serve as a reminder to others that they must be attentive and cautious when behind the wheel of a vehicle not only to protect themselves and their passengers, but to also ensure the safety of others on the roads. Motorists in North Carolina should also make sure that they are protected as best as possible in the event of a collision by wearing their seatbelts and by properly restraining their children in car seats or booster seats.
An accident that occurred in Fayetteville last week is another example of just how important it is to make sure that all occupants of a vehicle are properly restrained in order to minimize injuries and to potentially prevent an accident from turning fatal.
Last week, a 41-year-old woman was driving on Ramsey Street in Fayetteville with her 4-year-old child in the car. Police reported that before crashing into a pole, the woman first crossed over into two lanes of traffic. After investigating the crash, police reported that the child had not been restrained in a child seat at the time of the accident. The child did suffer minor injuries and was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. The mother was also taken to the medical center to receive treatment for minor injuries.
Fortunately, the child and mother were not seriously injured in the crash. However, police have cited the Fayetteville woman for failing to safely restrain her child in a child seat. Police also discovered marijuana in the vehicle and are waiting for the results of lab tests in order to determine if additional charges will be filed. Additionally, a warrant was issued for misdemeanor child abuse.
Source: NBC17, “Fayetteville mother cited after child was injured in car crash,” Jan. 5, 2011