The North Carolina Highway Patrol has launched an investigation into an accident that occurred Sunday, July 19 on Interstate 85. Investigators are trying to determine whether alcohol was involved in a wrong-way, head-on collision that killed three people, one of whom was a six-year-old child.
According to police, the driver of a Jeep was heading the wrong way in the southbound section of the highway near Hillsborough at about 3 a.m. Sunday at the time of the accident. The jeep ran into a passenger car carrying four people, three of whom were killed on impact. The driver of that car was a 49-year-old Charlotte woman. The driver of the Jeep was transported to University of North Carolina Hospital, and officials said his injuries were not life threatening.
Intoxication a common factor
Although wrong-way accidents are occasionally due to confusing signage or poor road planning, the vast majority of them are the result of drivers being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police were especially likely to consider alcohol to be a factor in this crash, as it occurred in the wee hours of the morning on a weekend, when people are most likely to have been out drinking. If the driver is indeed found to have been under the influence at the time of the accident, he will face felony charges of driving under the influence (DUI) and certain prison time.
For more information on your legal options after a car accident, consult a knowledgeable North Carolina personal injury attorney with Lanier Law Group.