A multi-vehicle accident in Fayetteville left three people dead, authorities stated. The July 16 crash reportedly involved a wrong-way vehicle on Murchison Road and affected four vehicles altogether.
According to police, a 67-year-old man was driving a Nissan pickup truck on the road when he traversed the centerline and entered into oncoming traffic. Two vehicles collided with the wrong-way vehicle. Police stated that the collision resulted in the deaths of the drivers of the three vehicles: a 50-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and the 67-year-old man.
A fourth vehicle became involved in the wreck; yet, it was not immediately clear how that occurred. The driver of the vehicle, a 40-year-old woman, suffered injuries that did not appear to be serious, reportedly.
Police indicated that they are still investigating the event. It was not clear immediately following the incident what caused the driver of the wrong-way truck to veer across the centerline.
If further investigation into this case were to elicit significant evidence indicating that negligent behavior, such as drunk driving, caused the fatal accident, then the negligent party may be held accountable for the incident not just criminally but also in civil court. That is because people who suffer economic damages in connection with an accident caused by another party’s actionable behavior may seek financial compensation via civil action, such as a wrongful death claim.
That is, certain family members of deceased accident victims may retain a wrongful death attorney and file suit against the at-fault party, seeking restitution for the expenses associated with the decedent’s funeral service, burial and estate administration. Moreover, claimants in a wrongful death suit may seek compensation for lost earnings if the decedent had contributed income to dependents or the family household while alive.
Source: WRAL, “Fayetteville, NC; Cumberland County; North Carolina“, Matthew Burns, July 18, 2014