Pitt County Collision on Hwy 33 Flips Truck Sending Three to Hospital

The wreck was witnessed and police immediately arrived on the scene. There was a truck and car involved only the truck flipped. The crash looked bad but luckily everyone was alert, and it could have been much worse. Highway 33 in Pitt County was closed down for about an hour and a half Wednesday following an accident that sent three people to the hospital.

It happened late Wednesday afternoon at the intersection with Alvin Road near Grimesland. Highway Patrol says a car was turning into a driveway when it was rear ended by a pickup truck, causing the truck to flip over.

The accident involved a car and a pickup truck. The truck flipped over. Two people in the car were taken to the hospital. One person in the truck was taken to the hospital. The injuries are said to be minor. A detour around the accident has been set up.

The truck driver was cited for failure to reduce speed. Two people in the car and one in the truck were taken to the hospital, and the injuries are said to be minor. Highway 33 in Pitt County is now open again following and the accident that sent three people to the hospital.

Beyond acquiring basic car control skills and exercising good judgment behind the wheel there are a few basic rules for safe driving that everyone should know, and follow:

1. Don't tailgate: Crowding the car ahead of you makes it more likely you'll smash into it if the driver should suddenly brake.
2. Obey the three second rule: Every driver should know and heed the three second rule: When the vehicle ahead of you passes a fixed object (such as a tree or telephone pole) slowly count "one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand." If you reach the object before completing the count, you're following too closely.
3. Use turn signals: Failing to signal your intentions to other motorists is always dangerous as well as discourteous. Other motorists are not psychic; they can't guess that you are planning on making a right turn  or about to move into the next lane.
4. Don't impede the flow of traffic: Driving too slowly can be more dangerous than driving a little faster than the posted limit.
5. Maintain appropriate speed: For example, while it may be perfectly legal to drive 65 mph on the highway, if you don't slow down when it's raining heavily (or snowing) and your visibility as well as your car's stopping ability are reduced you increase your chances of having an accident.
6. Plan ahead/use your mirrors: Anticipate the need to brake or make lane changes, etc. by constantly scanning your driving environment and watching the actions of other drivers, pedestrians and so on.
7. Drive within your limits, the limits set by conditions and the limits of your vehicle: SUVs are not as equipped as sporty cars to travel safely at higher speeds and sporty cars tend to get skittish much more readily when it snows.
8. If you have the desire to become an even better driver and learn how to handle emergency situations such as panic braking and loss of vehicle control you may want to attend a driving school where you'll learn about vehicle handling dynamics on a closed course track under expert supervision.

BM