Cyclist Killed in Tragic Crash on NC 191 in Buncombe County, North Carolina (NC)

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC- My40.tv writes that a driver struck and killed a cyclist this week on NC 191. The car that struck the victim was identified as a Buick passenger vehicle. Officers were called to the scene in the early evening and found the cyclist with severe injuries.*

Responders rushed the victim to Mission Hospital, but the woman died a short while later. Reports identified the cyclist as a 56-year-old woman from Columbia, South Carolina. 

The driver fled the scene after striking the cyclist. Police later identified the woman as a 25-year-old from Brevard. 

The authorities charged the woman for driving while intoxicated, felony hit-and-run, and for driving on a revoked license. According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, additional charges are likely to follow once the investigation is completed. 

A recent report stated that both North and South Carolina have higher than average rates of drunk drivers. In fact, both states made the list of top ten for drunk driving. The researchers looked at the number of DUI arrests and related fatalities to generate their list of drunk driving rankings. 

According to the AAA, drunk drivers are more inclined to commit hit-and-run crashes. A study found that the chances of a driver being drunk when they committed a deadly hit-and-run are about two times, if not as much as nine times, as high as the chances of a driver who stays at the scene being intoxicated. Obviously, drunk motorists may be more inclined to flee to avoid arrest for driving under the influence. 

North Carolina is the seventeenth state in terms of fatal hit-and-run crashes. 

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Sources:

http://my40.tv/news/local/jane-norton-beach-hannah-mae-lena-briann-guffey-bicyclist-struck-killed

https://www.wmbfnews.com/2019/11/20/carolinas-fall-into-top-list-worst-states-drunk-driving/

https://www.cars.com/articles/hit-and-run-deaths-are-way-up-how-dangerous-is-your-state-1420699813513/

https://aaafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/18-0058_Hit-and-Run-Brief_FINALv2.pdf