Leah Walton, now age 25, is currently on trial for hitting two nurses two nurses outside a nursing home in August of 2010. The hit-and-run was fatal for one nurse, and left the other nurse in critical condition resulting in a 5 month coma for the victim.
The Defendant is now facing multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, and marijuana possession. It was unknown until after an inventory search that the car the Defendant was driving actually had drugs inside of it, adding the distraction that lead to this horrific accident.
The accident happened in August of 2010, outside the White Oak Manor nursing home on Craig Avenue. It was the Defendant herself who told the police that she was trying to reach for ” something” in her purse when she lost control of the vehicle.
However, during the trial yesterday, testimony was given by one of the officers who stated very adamantly, that there were no skids marks at the scene; thus, leading one to believe that perhaps the Defendant never lost control of the car but rather she never saw the nurse/victims when she hit them.
The surviving victim, nurse Lisa McIe testified about what happened the day of the accident and her shock of her survival. She now uses a wheelchair to get around, as the accident left her without use of her legs for the time being. McIe states that the first thing she remembered after the accident was waking up five months later in excruciating pain. She had multiple broken bones and internal injuries. “It’s like somebody’s crushing you, stinging you, stabbing you,” said McIe about the pain. “I couldn’t believe I was still alive,” she said.
McIe was fortunate enough to live, but the same can not be said for her friend and co-worker, Susan Karablut, who died at the scene of the crime.It has been stated by the prosecution that Karablut was dragged over 100 feet after the impact; adding more injury to insult, if that could have even be possible. Karablut’s daughter was only 9 years old at the time that her mother was killed.
It was a sad and gory day in late August of 2010, not only for the victims and their families, but also for the citizens who witnesses the horrific accident. One witness, Kristen Talbot, described seeing th victims ” mangled bodies on the roadway.” The witness further testified that “[she] saw both of the bodies go under the car and the bodies kept going around and around.” She was continuously wiping tears away during her testimony.
Yesterday during the opening statements, assistant attorney Natalie Sielaff said that the Defendant had a choice that day, and her choice followed with severe consequences. She said Karablutt and McIe “never expected a car to come barreling up the sidewalk.”
Walton’s attorney, George Laughrun, rebutted the comment by stating that the Defendant admits to being a ” distracted driver;” however she ( the Defendant) had no malice or wilfulness that added to the injuries.
We will keep our readers abreast as this case develops.
The North Carolina Personal Injury Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower
If you or someone you know have been injured or killed in any type of accident, call the North Carolina personal injury attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower at 877-374-5999, or use this form, for a free consultation with an attorney to help you evaluate your claim and to get the recovery you deserve.