Teen Killed in Tragic Crash on Idlewild Road in Charlotte, North Carolina (NC)

CHARLOTTE, NC- Wbtv.com writes that a teenage girl was killed in a tragic crash in North Carolina this week. The incident took place in the mid-afternoon at the intersection of Idlewood Road and Drifter Drive.*

The victim, who was just fourteen years old, was in a Chevrolet Equinox with three other people. Reports stated that the vehicle was speeding when it crossed into oncoming traffic. The driver attempted to correct but ended up colliding with a median, causing the vehicle to fly into the air. 

As the car landed, the driver steered to the left, and the car traveled off the road and into an embankment. After colliding with a culvert, the vehicle entered the woods, and the passenger side of the car struck a tree. The victim was in the back seat on the right side of the car. The three other individuals were injured and transported to the hospital following the wreck.

Police indicated that excessive speed was a contributing factor in the collision, but stated that impairment is not believed to have been an issue. 

The driver was identified as a 21-year-old woman. After being released from the hospital, the young woman was charged for involuntary manslaughter, driving without a license, reckless driving, traveling left-of-center, and failing to reduce speed. 

Speeding plays a role in many fatal crashes in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding drivers caused 9,378 fatalities in 2018. When a driver is speeding, they put their own life at risk, along with the lives of all other people on the roadway. Speeding leads to an increased risk of losing control of the vehicle and lowers the effectiveness of safety features in a car. 

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.wbtv.com/2020/06/27/year-old-killed-driver-charged-single-car-crash-southeast-charlotte/

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