Everyone who is working to earn a North Carolina driver’s license, or who has ever sought insurance coverage, has been taught the philosophy of defensive driving. The idea that you should protect yourself, rather than drive aggressively, is drilled into our heads. However, sometimes our personal efforts to drive safely are outweighed by other drivers, especially immature drivers without the experience of years of driving. Such a driver appears to have caused a 4-car accident on a Wilmington road.
The driver of a flatbed truck was driving north on a North Carolina road when she noticed an oncoming car that had crossed the center line, swerving back into the correct lane. Unfortunately, the driver of the oncoming car swerved back into oncoming traffic, sideswiping the truck driver before colliding with a second car. The oncoming car then struck a third car before careening into a bush.
Although police report no serious injuries, all four people traveling in the oncoming vehicle, including two toddlers, were transported to the hospital. The driver had a learner’s permit, and her mother was traveling in the front passenger seat. No charges have been filed at this point.
While responsibility for the Wilmington car accident has yet to be assigned in the way of criminal charges, the victims in the accident could still be entitled to a settlement in a civil court. While no one wants to see a young driver punished for inexperience, there are damaged vehicles that must be repaired as well as possible injuries that will require medical care. Sometimes, pursuing a case in a civil court is necessary so that the responsible parties are held financially liable based upon proof of negligence.
Source: wwaytv.com, “Four-car crash closes River Rd., sends toddlers to hospital,” Allyson Lorick, April 2, 2013
