One Killed in Tragic Charlotte Crash, Police Officer Injured

CHARLOTTE, NC- Wbtv.com writes that one person died in a crash involving a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer. The incident, which occurred in the morning earlier this week, took place at the intersection of Arrowood Road and South Tryon Street. A police officer reportedly saw a car that rolled through an intersection on a red light and began to follow the vehicle.*

The car then jumped the curb and crashed into a pedestrian. The officer rushed to the scene and tried to stop the driver, whom he thought might have been suffering from a medical emergency. The driver put the car into reverse and then struck the police officer. Fortunately, the officer was able to get back onto his feet. A witness saw the officer trying to reach into the vehicle to put it into park when the car rolled back, striking the officer. 

Responders arrived at the scene and transported the pedestrian to the hospital where that individual was declared dead. The driver was taken to the hospital as well. It is not clear what caused the driver’s behavior, but he has since been charged with a red-light violation, failure to maintain lane and death by a motor vehicle. While police do not believe that the driver was impaired, the investigation is still underway, and toxicology test results have not yet been completed. Officers are asking that anyone with information about the wreck contact the police or Crime Stoppers. 

Medical emergencies do occasionally cause traffic crashes, but these incidents are rare as compared to other contributing factors. Driver inattention and impairment are both much more likely to lead to wrecks than heart attacks, strokes, or other unexpected medical issues. 

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.wbtv.com/2020/02/05/cmpd-officer-two-others-injured-after-crash-involving-pedestrian-southwest-charlotte/ and https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811219