One Killed in Tragic Hit-and-Run in Carolina Beach, North Carolina (NC)
CAROLINA BEACH, NC- wwaytv.com writes that one person died in a tragic crash this week in Carolina Beach. The incident occurred overnight, and police arrived on the scene to find the severely injured individual. Although responders attempted life-saving measures, the victim was declared dead at the scene.*
Witnesses described the suspect to officers, and police were able to locate the driver a short while after the deadly crash. The driver was identified as a 74-year-old man from Carolina Beach. The suspect has since been arrested and is facing multiple charges including for hit-and-run causing serious injury or death and driving under the influence. Investigators believe that alcohol likely contributed to the wreck. The suspect’s bond was set at $100,000. The victim’s identity was not released at this time, other than a statement that the individual was male. The authorities are still working to contact the man's next of kin.
Hit-and-run crashes have been increasing throughout the United States. The AAA stated that between 2009 and 2016, the number of people killed in these incidents rose by an average of 7.2 percent each year.
Pedestrians are more likely to be the victim in these crashes, and statistics indicate that about one out of every five pedestrian crashes takes place in the context of a hit-and-run. Unfortunately, many hit and run drivers are never apprehended, making it difficult to get a profile of these motorists. However, the AAA states that drivers who flee the scene are more likely to be drunk at the time of the crash.
Efforts to prevent people from fleeing the scene of accidents have largely focused on increased penalties. These laws have not been successful in lowering the number of such crashes, and now some states are implementing alert programs to help apprehend drivers who flee the scene.
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 a 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.wwaytv3.com/2020/05/31/man-dies-after-early-morning-hit-and-run-in-carolina-beach/
https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-0058_Hit-and-Run-Brief_FINALv2.pdf