Biology Professor From University of North Carolina Dies in Tragic Crash

PEMBROKE, NC- The robsonian.com writes that a car crash killed a professor from the University of North Carolina this week. The victim, a 75-year-old man, taught with the biology department for 53 years.*

The crash took place on NC 711 when the victim was driving eastbound in a 2019 Jeep Cherokee heading towards Lumberton. A driver in a 2009 GMC pickup truck was traveling in the opposite direction and struck the Jeep head-on. 

The victim died at the scene of the crash, and the other motorist, a 56-year-old man from Pembroke, was transported to a hospital in South Carolina where he is currently stable. Police stated that alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the tragic crash and that charges are currently pending. 

The University is now mourning the loss of the long-time educator. Reports indicate that the victim was originally from Tennessee but joined the UNCP faculty at just 22-years-old. 

Colleagues of the victim spoke about his expertise in his subject, his love of knowledge, and his kindness. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 29 percent of people killed in crashes lost their lives because of drunk drivers. Each year, drunk drivers cause over 10,000 fatalities in the United States. While driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher puts drivers at risk of being in a severe collision, the risk of a crash rises even with lower levels of alcohol in the bloodstream. Despite the fact that driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal in the United States, drunk drivers still continue to kill people on average about once every 50 minutes. 

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Sources:

https://www.robesonian.com/news/132990/crash-kills-longtime-uncp-professor

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving