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2/25/2011
Kevin Duffan
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Driver Asleep at the Wheel as Six Passengers Injured in Greenville, North Carolina SUV Wreck

Last week a driver of an SUV fell asleep at the wheel injuring all six passengers aboard. The SUV rolled out of control during the early evening on Highway 264 in Greenville, North Carolina (N.C.). According to authorities, 19-year-old Cornelius Keech, Jr. of Grimesland, North Carolina (NC) has been charged with reckless driving .

As Trooper A.B. Smith explained to news station WITN,  Keech's 2002 Ford Explorer was traveling west into Greenville,NC on Hwy 264 when he fell asleep at the wheel around 8:20 p.m. which caused him to cross into the grass median. Over-correcting, Keech then lost control and flipped the SUV twice coming to rest east of North Campus Crossing.

It is noted that a total of seven people were in the Ford Explorer at the time of the SUV wreck, which included an infant.  

 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 100,000 car accidents each year are the direct result of people falling asleep at the wheel. Not only that, but these 100,000 car accidents related to falling asleep at the wheel are the cause of over 1,500 deaths and over 70,000 injuries annually, in addition to significant amounts of property damage each year. There are some myths and facts about how to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.

Myths on How to Not Fall Asleep at the Wheel

  •  Blast loud music to stay awake.
...False.
It has been shown that no matter how loud the music that if you are tired you will nod off. 
  • Pull over to the  shoulder and get some sleep.
...False.
 While this may help your fatigue, it is never safe pulling over to the roadside,  and you should avoid it if at all possible  Your likelihood of getting hit by another vehicle goes up significantly.   Try to find a rest area. 

  • Drinking coffee (or soda ,  tea ,  an energy drink or any other caffeinated beverage) will help you stay on the road longer.
...False.
Caffeine is only a temporary fix and most times it takes time for the side effects to "kick in"  after taking them.

The best advice is the most simple... get plenty of rest before you embark upon your road trip, and if you get fatigued, find a safe place to get some sleep. 

As with all serious injury cases, it is especially crucial to seek out professional legal advice in car accident injury cases and we have the experienced injury attorneys to evaluate your claim. Our firm is ready to assist you  in reviewing your specific situation to see if your claim meets our criteria. In North Carolina  (NC) , as well as every other state, there are laws on how long you have to file a suit. Don't hesitate, call our toll free number and get confidential legal advice.


Category: Carolina Car & Motorcycle Accidents

Labels: accident asleep-at-the-wheel attorney car Carolina Duffman flipped Greenville injury North passengers SUV wreck


About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law. We maintain office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC), on East Elizabeth Street, and we have handled thousands of cases in which victims got hurt or killed in car, truck, train and motorcycle crashes caused by others' negligence or carelessness.

We serve every area of North Carolina, including Elizabeth City, Edenton, Raleigh, Durham, Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids, Greensboro, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Halifax, Northampton,  Greenville, Goldsboro, Havelock, Kinston, New Bern, Tarboro, Wilson, Ahoskie, Currituck, Camden and the Outer Banks towns of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Manteo, Corolla, Currituck and Dare. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg.

Firm attorneys Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. In addition, our firm has been named a North Carolina "Best Law Firm" for personal injury law since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report.

We also offer free special reports on distracted driving and the Best Guide to Car Accident Injuries in North Carolina. 

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultations. Call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can get back to you.



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