Parking Lot Accident in Raleigh, NC Injures Three

The injured women had been having lunch at an outside table when a driver pulling into of a nearby parking space suddenly accelerated and jumped a curb.

Raleigh, North Carolina 79 Year Old Woman Hit Crossing Falls of Neuse Road

Emily Mapp Brannon recently blogged about a Raleigh, North Carolina pedestrian accident involving an elderly lady getting hit while crossing the Falls Neuese Road. She was a resident at nearby Heritage of Raleigh retirement community and it is not clear as to why she was allowed near such a busy road. If you want a no-cost call with an experienced lawyer specializing in auto accident cases against insurance companies, please contact our law firm toll free at 800-752-0042.

Driver to be Charged With Murder After DUI Car Accident in Wake Forest, North Carolina

The Wake Forest Police Department will be charging the driver of a vehicle that killed a man in Wake Forest, North Carolina (NC) with second degree murder. The recent car accident occurred after Pedro Guity crossed in to oncoming traffic on Capital Boulevard and struck Robert Harris. Pedro Guity was taken to WakeMed hospital where he recovered from his injuries. Tragically, Robert Harris died as a result of the car accident. Blood screens on Guity revealed he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

Pedro Guity is one of thousands of North Carolina (NC) residents who chose to get behind the wheel after having too much to drink. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 423 people in 2008 died in alcohol-related car accidents in North Carolina.

Every year we see an increase in drunk-driving car accidents around the holidays. Holiday parties, dinners, and family gatherings often have alcohol in abundance, and people are more prone to drinking and attempting to drive home afterwards. Drinking and driving is never a good idea. North Carolina has strict laws on drinking and driving that could cost your drivers license, or put you in jail, even if you do not have a car accident.

Keep yourself and your loved ones safe this year and set-up a designated driver before you go to your holiday party. The designated driver program has helped to save thousands of lives across the U.S.

 

AC

Firefighter Critically Injured in Raleigh, North Carolina School Bus Accident

The Raleigh Police Department is still investigating the cause of a bus accident that left a firefighter trapped inside his truck. The school bus, carrying seven children from Southeast Raleigh High and Centennial Middle School, was traveling on Ligon Mill Road near US Hwy 401 when the bus crashed in to the firefighter’s truck, forcing him off the road. A third car, a station wagon, was also involved in the crash though Raleigh police are not sure how.

 

It took the Raleigh Fire Department forty-five minutes to free fellow firefighter, Lt. Harry Kissinger from his truck. Lt. Kissinger was taken to WakeMed hospital where he is being treated for serious head injuries he sustained in the bus accident. The driver of the school bus and the driver of the station wagon were also taken to local Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) hospitals where they are being treated for serious injuries. Thankfully, none of the seven children on board the school bus were hurt in the accident.

 

Accidents involving school buses are more commonplace then one might think. According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction over 2,000 school bus safety violations occur every day and many of these violations lead to serious accidents or even deaths. My colleague, Jim Lewis, recently wrote an article about a school bus accident in Fayetteville, North Carolina (NC) that led to the death of one woman.

 

Drivers should use extra caution around school buses. Remember that buses make frequent and sudden stops. School bus drivers can also become easily distracted by noisy children on the bus. Drivers should always try to stay more then a car length from school buses and pay close attention to warning lights that indicate the bus driver is about to make a stop.

 

AC

Man Dies in Three-Vehicle Car Accident in Dunn, North Carolina

One man is dead and three others, including a child, are in the hospital recovering from serious injuries after a car accident in Dunn, North Carolina (NC).

 

Roy English, a 78-year-old man from Wallace, was traveling through the intersection of North Carolina Highway 55 and Highway 242 when a Dodge truck, driven by Joseph Bayfden, ran a stop sign and struck Roy English’s car. Shortly after the initial collision, another vehicle crashed in to English’s car and the Dodge truck caught fire.

 

Tragically, Roy English and his wife Robbie English were transported to WakeMed hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) where Roy English died as a result of injuries sustained in the car accident. Robbie English is still at WakeMed hospital recovering from serious injuries. Joseph Bayfden and his child were also taken to WakeMed hospital where they are recovering. Two other passengers in English’s car and the passengers in the third vehicle involved in the accident were not injured.

 

Sadly, there is nothing Roy English could have done to avoid the car accident and it is unlikely that the driver of the third vehicle involved could have avoided hitting the accident scene.

 

Stop signs are far easier to miss then red traffic lights. It is also more difficult for law enforcement officers to catch violators at stop signs. Several traffic lights have had red camera lights installed that catch violators in the act even if a police officer is not looking; however, no policy exists yet for stop signs. As a driver the best thing you can do to avoid being in a car accident with someone who has run a stop sign is to use extreme caution when crossing any intersection. Remember that stop signs are not always visible to other drivers, or the driver may simply be distracted, causing them to miss the sign.

 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled thousands of automobile negligence cases involving cars, trucks, trains, and motorcycles. We would be pleased to send you one of our FREE reports about car accident cases, including our special report on distracted driving or our Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in North Carolina. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

AC

William Schmitt Remains in Critical Condition after a Motorcycle Accident in Raleigh, North Carolina

William Schmitt was headed to work in Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) on his motorcycle when he crashed into a van, causing him critical injuries.

William Schmitt was traveling on Mt. Vernon Church Road in Raleigh when Cheryl Rash heading the opposite way in her van attempted to turn left into a private drive. Schmitt’s motorcycle crashed in to the side of Cheryl Rash’s van.

Cheryl Rash and the child who was traveling with her at the time of the motorcycle accident were taken to local Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) hospitals where they were treated for minor injuries. Both Rash and the child were released later in the day. William Schmitt was taken to WakeMed where he is still in critical condition.

According to the Raleigh Police Department Rash simply did not see Schmitt’s motorcycle before she turned and no charges have been filed in the accident.

As a personal injury attorney I know that accidents involving motorcycles are far too common. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that motorcycles are up to 16 times more likely to be involved in an accident, and undivided roads such as Mt. Vernon Church Road are responsible for the majority of fatal motorcycle accidents.

While you are driving it is important to pay attention to motorcycles on the roadways, especially at night time and on smaller more rural roads. Accidents where the driver of a vehicle simply didn’t see the motorcycle make up for a large portion of all motorcycle accidents. By slowing down and sharing the road with motorcycles you can help decrease those numbers.

 

AC