Tragic One Vehicle Crash Kills Man in Clayton County, North Carolina

CLAYTON COUNTY, NC - Cbs17.com writes that a man died in a crash on NC 42 earlier this week in Clayton County. The victim was driving westbound close to Motorcycle Road when he struck a median. The man’s car overturned, and the victim was ejected from the vehicle.*

Police reports indicate that the man was not using a seatbelt at the time of the wreck. It appears that speed was a contributing factor in the crash. NC 42 remained closed while crews worked to clear the scene. No information is available about the identity of the victim. 

Single-vehicle crashes kill many motorists and passengers every year. These avoidable collisions often result from well-known and common driver errors such as fatigue, speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence. The two common causes of deadly run-off-the-road accidents are rollovers and fixed object collisions. Rollovers kill close to one out of every three accident victims. The forces involved when a vehicle overturns are intense, and occupants are jostled around, potentially colliding with multiple parts of the inside of the vehicle. In many unfortunate cases, the occupants will be ejected from the vehicle as it rolls. The best way to prevent being ejected is to use a seatbelt. People who are thrown from a car have a low chance of surviving.

In the case of fixed object crashes, drivers often strike trees, signs, or traffic barriers. The unyielding roadside objects lead to rapid deceleration and often cause fatal injuries. These accidents are more likely on rural roads with higher speed limits. More lives may be spared if fewer objects were located near the side of the road. Allowing more space gives drivers an opportunity to correct or slow down.  

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/johnston-county-news/man-dies-after-being-ejected-in-single-vehicle-wreck-in-clayton-troopers-say/ and https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/collisions-with-fixed-objects-and-animals and https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/rollover-101/index.htm