Uber Driver Facing Charges Following Fatal Crash in North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, NC- Cbs17.com writes that a driver operating an Uber is facing charges following a tragic collision that left his passenger dead. The incident occurred in Charlotte over the weekend in the early afternoon.*

Officers were called to the intersection of Delta Lake Drive and East W.T. Harris Boulevard, where the Uber had collided with a utility pole and two trees. Early reports indicate that the vehicle was traveling southbound when the driver veered across the lanes of oncoming traffic and then drifted off the road. The passenger in the vehicle, a 40-year-old woman, was ejected on impact. When responders arrived on the scene, they found the victim on the ground and declared her dead. The driver also suffered injuries in the collision and was transported to the hospital. 

While the 57-year-old man driving the car was wearing a seatbelt, the passenger was not. Police do not believe that impairment was a factor in the tragic crash. Police have now charged the motorist with misdemeanor death and reckless driving. The investigation is ongoing, and police are still asking for any witnesses to the event to contact Crime Stoppers or law enforcement officers. 

In North Carolina, all adult drivers and passengers are required to wear their seatbelts regardless of where they are in the seated. Children are required to be in age-appropriate restraints. Drivers are responsible for their own seatbelt use and for the seatbelt usage of any passengers who are sixteen or younger. Adults riding as passengers in vehicles are responsible for using their seatbelts. Seatbelts are the best way to lower a vehicle occupant’s risk of being ejected in a collision. 

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/north-carolina-news/nc-uber-driver-charged-after-passenger-ejected-killed-in-crash/ and https://www.wral.com/uber-driver-banned-for-life-after-passenger-dies-in-charlotte-crash/18926335/ and https://www.wbtv.com/2020/02/02/uber-driver-charged-after-deadly-crash-east-charlotte/ and https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/law-enforcement/state-highway-patrol/faq/seat-belts and https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbeltbrief/index.html