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Teaser: My colleague, Jim Lewis, wrote an article on the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blog about a Fuguay-Varina woman facing charges that she backed over a retired school teacher at a gas station in her minivan. To read the full article about how the woman is facing a DWI charge among others, click here.

In what can only be described as a series of tragic events a Fuquay-Varina mother of three made her first appearance in court recently stemming from charges that she backed over a woman with her minivan at a gas station and killed her. Amanda Bailey Culross, 30, has been charged with second-degree murder, driving while impaired, child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The last two charges come from the fact that her three daughters, ages 4 to 8, were in her minivan during the time of the accident.

Occurring at the Hess gas station at the intersection of N.C. Highway 27 and N.C. Highway 55 in Coats at about 3:30 p.m. Friday Jo Ann Bacon, 75, a retired teacher who spent 40 years in area schools, was crossing the parking lot to pay for gas when Culross’ minivan hit her, police said.

When charging someone with second-degree murder in a DWI crash it comes down to a question of malice. Facts to be considered are whether a suspect has a prior DWI conviction, ran from police, left the scene, or driving in an extremely reckless fashion. Accordig to Officer Jaggers, who was the first to respond to the incident, said Culross was trying to give Bacon first aid when he arrived at the scene. "She was upset, of course. It was a tragic accident," Jaggers said.

Obviously, this accident is truly a tragic situation, especially for the retired school teacher, Ms Bacon. It is blatantly apparent that Culross was grossly negligent in everything she did that fateful day that will forever change the lives of her children and the survivors of Ms. Bacon. It should be noted that many advocacy groups try each year to change laws requiring automakers to put safety devices on the back of vehicles and each year there are groups vehemently opposed to such measures. Ultimately, it comes down to personal responsibility and enforcing negligent behavior to the fullest extent of the law.

Shapiro, Cooper,Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

BM

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