A man appeared in a North Carolina courtroom on July 25 to face charges related to a fatal truck accident. The 43-year-old man is accused of causing a truck accident on June 13 that killed a 33-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. The accident also seriously injured four other people.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the defendant was driving a 2000 International truck along Wait Avenue in Wake Forest when the accident occurred. At about 6 p.m., the truck driver crossed over the center median and collided with a Hyundai van. Officials charged him with misdemeanor death by vehicle along with other traffic offenses. It is unclear if family members of the deceased victims have filed wrongful death lawsuits.
After medical personnel arrived at the scene, a teen girl who had been riding in the van was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the van was taken to WakeMed where she was later declared dead. There were no reports about what caused the truck driver to lose control of his vehicle. Reports indicate that the truck driver was not charged with any alcohol or drug-related offenses. It is customary for drivers to be tested for alcohol and drugs after a serious car accident.
Many accidents occur when truck drivers have been driving without sleep for many hours. A person who has been injured in a truck accident may want to speak to a lawyer about filing a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver as well as the truck driver’s employer. A lawyer may also help the family of a deceased truck accident victim to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Source: CBS North Carolina, “Man appears in court after teen and woman killed in Wake Forest crash,” July 25, 2016