North Carolina Highway officials report that a two-vehicle crash in Hendersonville County during the morning hours of Oct. 13 left two individuals dead. Police said that they do not believe alcohol was a factor in the auto wreck.
Authorities responded to a 911 call around 9:30 a.m. regarding a wrong way driver on Interstate 26. The suspected motorist, a 91-year-old man driving a westbound red pickup truck, smashed into an eastbound vehicle on an exit ramp. The force of the crash instantly killed the elderly driver and the driver of the eastbound vehicle, a 36-year-old man.
Following the fatal collision, troopers restricted traffic to a portion of the freeway during the investigation. The area was reopened at approximately 11:30 a.m. At the time the media report was released, the investigation was ongoing. Police did not say if anyone involved in the crash was wearing their seatbelts. Furthermore, authorities were still waiting on toxicology results; however, they said that the process was typical following fatal vehicle crashes.
North Carolina residents who have lost a family member in a car accident might choose to pursue compensation for their accident-related losses via a wrongful death claim. Due to the sudden shock and emotional loss the family may be experiencing following a fatal car crash, they may not be thinking of taking legal action. However, if information from the official police report and witness accounts show that the driver caused the crash through an act of negligence, the family may be able to hold the driver liable for their losses. Through such a claim, a court may reward the plaintiffs for damages, including funeral costs, medical expenses and future loss of income. In some circumstances, the plaintiff may even be eligible to receive non-economic losses such as loss of consortium.
Source: WLOS, “Wrong-Way Driver Kills Two in I-26 Accident“, October 14, 2014