Auto Accident Kills A North Carolina Student

People will sometimes forget to adjust their driving depending on inclement weather conditions. Weather events such as heavy rain or snow require driving to be more cautious and slow down. When drivers fail to respect how roadways are affected by bad weather, an auto accident can happen.

A lack of respect for the weather conditions may be what caused a pickup truck to hydroplane across the centerline. As a result, a North Carolina college student was unable to avoid being hit by the out of control pickup truck. The impact was nearly head-on and debris was scattered across all of the road’s five lanes.

The damage to the college student’s vehicle was such that emergency personnel had to use the “Jaws of Life” to free her from the vehicle. When they finally extracted her from the car, she was quickly transported to the hospital. Despite the efforts of hospital personnel, the woman did not survive her injuries and died. The 17-year-old driver of the pickup truck was injured in the crash, but his injuries were considered not to be life threatening.

North Carolina police say that speed and weather were factors in this deadly auto accident, but knowing that may be of little consolation to the victim’s family. Regardless, they have lost a loved one in an accident that may have been prevented if the driver had slowed down to account for the weather conditions. It is not known whether authorities will charge the young man in connection with the accident, but the victim’s family may be able to hold the young driver responsible for his actions by filing a wrongful death claim against him.

Source: wbtw.com, “NC college student killed when pickup truck slams into her car,” May 21, 2013