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The North Carolina Highway Patrol has charged a driver in a crash that killed his passenger. 

According to the Winston-Salem Journal, the 18-year-old driver in Linwood, North Carolina has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, as well as careless and reckless driving.

The police noted that the 19-year-old passenger in the vehicle died when the car that he was in ran off a rural road and flipped. The driver was going 70 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. The passenger was pronounced dead at the crash scene.

Our View

Speeding kills. The US Census Bureau found in 2008 that there were more than 37,000 traffic accidents that killed people where speeding was a factor. Speeding should be avoided because it increases the likelihood of an accident. The NHTSA also reports that there were nearly 10,000 speeding-related deaths in 2015 alone. 

Speeding is not merely driving above the limit that is posted on the roadway. It also includes driving too fast for road conditions. Our Virginia and North Carolina personal injury attorneys have seen many deadly accidents occur where speeding was involved.

By driving at the speed limit, you have a better ability to see upcoming curves or obstacles on the road. Going the speed limit also reduces the time it takes you to stop suddenly.

Common reasons for speeding, which can lead to serious and often deadly accidents and lawsuits, include:

  • Traffic: People get impatient due to traffic congestion. Once they get beyond the traffic jam, people tend to hit the gas and drive too fast.
  • Running late: Some drivers go too fast because they are late for wherever they are going. Drivers need to simply make sure that they leave on time so they can stay on schedule by driving a normal speed.
  • Anonymous: Many drivers feel like being in a car insulates them from the world around them. It can make them drive in a more aggressive manner. The feeling is that they will probably never see others on the road, so driving aggressively is ok.
  • Reckless disregard for others: Some drivers simply lack regard for the safety of other people.

Make no mistake: Driving recklessly and speeding is a serious offense. If it leads to a car accident with death or serious injury, there can be criminal charges filed. Also, when reckless actions lead to the injury or death of another person, a driver can be sued in civil court and be forced to pay for the person’s injuries, such as this $1 million car accident settlement we worked on in Virginia Beach. 

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