Charlotte Man Arrested For Fatal DWI Crash

A Charlotte man, charged with murder and DWI, was arrested late Monday after an overnight crash killed a 26-year-old woman and left her 4-year-old son hospitalized

The crash happened at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning, when the 31-year-old Iraq war veteran was driving eastbound on Sugar Creek Road in a 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe and sped through a red light and slammed into a car containing the woman driver and her child.

The woman died on the scene of the crash.  The child was in critical condition and was sent to a Charlotte area hospital. The man was arrested in September in 2009 for separate DWI incident and has since been restricted to no more than .04 blood alcohol level, a stricter imposition than the N.C. legal limit of .08.

According to police than man was intoxicated at the time of the crash on Monday.  He was charged with second-degree murder, felony serious injury by motor vehicle, DWI, and failure to comply with license restrictions. Studies show that almost one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated are repeat offenders.  In 2010, over 200 children were killed in crashes involving drunk drivers.  The effects of drunk driving have unfortunately touched families across the country and beyond.

If your family has been touched or damaged by the effects of drunk driving, please call the attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP, at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll free. We have offices in Charlotte and throughout South Carolina. We would be honored to have an opportunity to help you and your family get through this most difficult time in your lives.

Charlotte Race Fan Struck by Car Suffers Serious Injuries

A Speedway race fan was transported to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a car at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

The crash happened at approximately 9:15 p.m. Saturday near the pedestrian bridge on Highway 29 when the 66-year-old man was attempting to cross the road. According to police, the man was hit by a 1994 Honda Accord while the man was trying to cross in an area that was not marked by any crosswalk or traffic control device.

The pedestrian was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center and remains in critical condition. The driver of the Honda and her passenger were not injured and, according to police, speed was not a factor in the crash.

No charges have been filed thus far, however, authorities are continuing investigations.

Road safety is a responsibility for all road users, drivers and pedestrians alike.  However, pedestrians can take extra precautions to ensure that the inherent vulnerability of walking around motor vehicles can be mitigated as much as possible.  Pedestrians should always remember to cross streets at marked crosswalks and intersections and make eye contact with drivers.  Lastly, when crossing, pedestrians should look left, right, and then left again before crossing the street.

Please call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.  

Charlotte Police Officers Critically Injured After Violent Chase

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers were transported to the hospital after two crashes, stemming from one police chase left them injured Friday morning.

The events leading up to the incident began on Thursday afternoon when an officer from the Hickory Grove division tried to stop a man for speeding near the intersection of Sharon Amity Road and Shamrock Drive.  The man stopped, but then put his pickup truck in reverse, ramming into the front of the officer’s patrol car.  A chase ensued, ending at a dead end on Michigan Avenue.

The officer believed that the suspect was going to run so he exited his patrol car.  It was at that time the suspect reversed his truck once again into the officer’s patrol car, attempting to hit the officer while he was out of his vehicle.  The officer fired two shots after the man attempted to hit him.  The officer was injured and transported to Carolina Medical Center for treatment.

The suspect fled the scene after hitting the officer, heading inbound on the Plaza.

An officer in the North Tryon division heading outbound on the Plaza responded to calls for backup from the injured officer.  When the second officer approached the suspect’s truck, the man intentionally veered into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into the second officers patrol car.  The man was speeding at approximately 60 miles per hour at the time of the collision.

The crash trapped the second officer in his car.  The car was completely mangled and became completely engulfed in flames while the officer remained trapped.  Firefighters were forced to use the Jaws of Life to remove the entire roof of the patrol car to reach the injured officer and pull him to safety.

The suspect and the second police officer was rushed to CMC. Witnesses described the collision as being “extremely violent.”

According to police, there are warrants for the suspect for assault for a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon on a government officer and fleeing to elude arrest.  The suspect will also be charged with driving while intoxicated.

Police officers and emergency personnel face peril on a daily basis on America’s roads and highways.  There presence, although intimidating at times, is crucial for the safety of all road users.  If you are pulling over on the side of the highway, no matter what the reason, whether you are a police officer or citizen, you should practice extreme caution and awareness of your surroundings.  The most obvious concern is that you are visible to passing drivers.  Also, be sure that you pull off to the ride side of the road as far as possible and turn on your hazard lights.  Use emergency triangles or flares to alert drivers as you attend to your situation.

When you or someone you love has been involved in a serious accident, the Car Accident Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower can be there to assist you on your path to recovery.  We can investigate all aspects of the accident and hold all parties accountable for your loss. Call us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.  

Davidson Man Faces Charges After Fatal Head-On Collision

A Davidson man is facing charges after accusations of driving drunk, running a stop sign and killing his passenger in a head-on collision Friday night.

The wreck happened around 9:45 p.m. when the 42-year-old man was driving his Mustang on Highway 64 East to Highway 109 and crashed into a Ford Explorer head-on.

The 64-year-old male passenger in the Mustang was in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash and died on the scene.

The driver was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and was reported to be in critical condition.  His father, another passenger in the Mustang, was also transported to the hospital and is said to be in fair condition.

According to authorities, the driver of the Ford Explorer that was struck head-on did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Mustang was charged with failing to stop for a stop sign, driving left of center, possession of an open container of alcohol, failure to wear a seatbelt and driving while impaired.

Driving at night presents an entirely new set of hazards of which many drivers may not be aware.  The mere fact that it’s dark becomes significant since an alarming ninety percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, which is severely limited at night.  After sundown, depth perception, peripheral vision, and color recognition are all compromised.  Taking certain precautions, however, could make a difference for you and your loved ones.  If you are driving at night, be sure that your car is prepared for driving.  Double check all of your lights for proper working order and aim.  Never drink and drive  Avoid smoking while driving.  Reduce your speed and increase your following distances.  If you find yourself fatigued, make frequent stops for light snacks and/or exercise.

The  Accident Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower understand that even most cautious drivers can be injured in a serious car accident no matter what time of day.  When you or someone you love has been involved in a serious accident, our seasoned litigators can be there to assist you on your path to recovery.  We can investigate all aspects of the accident and hold all parties accountable for your loss. Call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.  Hire the best accident attorneys with whom you and your loved ones can invest the most confidence.

Rock Hill Woman Rips Antenna of Cab and Beats Cab With It.

A Rock Hill woman was arrested this weekend and  charged civilly with property damage, and criminally with public disorderly conduct for ripping an antenna off of a cab, and subsequently beating the car with it. This incident was reported early Saturday morning.

The report was filed by the 52-year-old cab driver, who picked up the Defendant off of W. White Street sometime shortly after midnight.

For whatever reason, the woman went ballistic, jumped out of the cab, ripped off the antenna, and began to beat the car with it. All the cab driver knows is that they were headed in the direction of the victim’s home when her temper got the best of her. Moreover, the “cab attack” damaged over $100 of the vehicle.

The 27-year-old is currently awaiting her bond of $6,000 for her weekend behavior. Fortunately for the cab driver, he suffered no personal injury.

In the case at hand, the cab driver was lucky to escape the cab attack without a scratch on him. However, this is rarely the case. Cab drivers are attacked more often than you may think. Many criminals “hi-jack” the cab and commit a crime, thinking they will be undetected in a car that is not their own. If the woman had hit the cab driver instead of the vehicle, the charges would be much more serious.

If you or a loved one every find yourselves in a serious situation that leaves you with a personal injury, please call the personal injury attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower and have your claim evaluated today. Call us now and speak directly with one of our attorneys at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free

Lancaster Man Dies in “Head-On”Collision Sunday Afternoon.

A Lancaster man was killed last Sunday when he drove his 2006 Nissan Altima onto the other side of the road, colliding with an on-coming car. The accident occurred mid-afternoon, on Shiloh Unity Road.

Officers were called to the scene immediately, where the victim was pronounced dead on scene. His autopsy will be preformed early this week to determine the exact cause of death at the time of the accident.

According to the police report, the victim, a 56-year old man, was driving his vehicle around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, when for some reason he swerved onto the other side of the road and hit a fellow driver “head-on.” The other driver was a Lancaster resident as well, and was driving her 3001 Ford Explorer when the cars collided.

The reason the victim veered onto the other side of the road is still unknown. It was reported that he was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.

Whether you’ve been involved in a car wreck with another automobile or large commercial “tractor trailer” truck, you need aggressive and experienced lawyers on your side. There are so many questions going through your mind. Who is going to pay for my medical treatment? How am I going to support my family while I’m unable to work? Does the person who caused this have enough insurance or any at all? Will I recover from my injuries and be able to go on with my life? What if I cannot go back to work?

These are all questions that the car accident attorneys at  Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower can answer for you. Call us today at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free  and have your claim evaluated immediately.