Car accident victim died in single car crash in North Carolina

An 18-year-old North Carolina teen is being held on a $100,000 bond in the Pamlico County Detention Center. He is so far facing a felony charge of hit and runs in connection with the death of a car accident victim that was also his friend. Police believe that there will be more charges as the investigation into the accident continues.

So far, the investigation has revealed that the teenager failed to maintain control of his pickup truck and ended up in a ditch. When the vehicle came to a rest, the driver left the scene. Somehow, he got to a friend’s house and then attempted to disappear into some woods. However, with the help of a helicopter and police dogs officers were able to locate him.

The driver seems to have gotten away with a broken leg. One of the passengers, who was also his cousin, suffered unspecified injuries. The other passenger died as a result of the crash. Police believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash and are possibly awaiting chemical confirmation of that fact before filing additional charges against the young man.

The car accident victim was not from North Carolina. However, if her family exercises their right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver, they will do it here in North Carolina since this is where the accident took place. Granted, whether to file a civil suit may not be at the top of the family’s list of priorities at the moment, but as the unplanned expenses that accompany a fatal accident begin to add up, it may make its way toward the top of the list.

Source: wnct.com, “Troopers say alcohol a factor in fatal Beaufort County crash,” Alex Freedman, July 6, 2013