A motor vehicle accident led to the death of a North Carolina woman late last month. The accident took place at about 1 a.m. in Charlotte when the woman was attempting to cross a street. The driver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, DWI and a license restriction violation.
The 31-year-old woman was reportedly attempting to cross the busy street near a restaurant that she frequented. Emergency responders were immediately dispatched to the car accident, but the woman died at the scene. The driver remained at the accident scene until police arrived.
The woman’s death is tragic, but it is not clear that the driver should have been charged with a DWI. According to the driver’s wife, he was not drunk at the time of the accident and simply did not have his glasses on. Additionally, the intersection is poorly lit and lacks a crosswalk; in fact, three pedestrians were struck by a driver at the same intersection in an incident that took place in August 2010.
In this case, the driver would likely benefit from the assistance of an experienced North Carolina criminal defense attorney. Because the driver stayed at the scene of the accident, it was late at night, and the intersection lacked lights and a crosswalk, the accident may have been just that: an unfortunate accident. A qualified attorney may thus be able to assist with establishing the circumstances of the accident while helping to navigate an often complicated court process. Whatever the facts of the accident turn out to be, the driver is entitled to a strong defense in court.
Source: wsoctv.com, “Friends remember victim hit and killed in Elizabeth,” Oct. 30, 2011
