Woman Killed, Seven People Injured in Two-car Wreck
According to the Daily Reflector, a woman was killed in a crash after the driver of her car collides with another vehicle in Greenville, North Carolina, on Saturday night.
Speed, Impairing Substances Likely to Blame
La’osha Hopkins, 25, was the passenger in the car driven by Antavious Highsmith, 23, at 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. Highsmith was driving south on Arlington Boulevard when the fatal accident occurred.
Officials say Highsmith, for reasons unknown, crossed over the center dividing line into oncoming traffic, reports the Daily Reflector. An SUV driven by 52-year-old Elizabeth Surkin was hit by the car at the intersection of Heart Drive. The car crash occurred right near the entrance to a nearby medical center.
The Daily Reflector reports that Hopkins was killed in the wreck. Highsmith and another passenger, 14, remain hospitalized with injuries sustained in the crash. Five people in the SUV, including two 15-year-olds, suffered from non-life-threatening injuries.
Both speed and an impairing substance were likely factors in the crash, according to police. The investigation is ongoing, and charges are expected, according to the Daily Reflector.
Information on Drunk Driving Crashes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28 people die in motor vehicle crashes that involve a drunk driver every day. In addition,
- The cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion each year.
- In 2014, 9,967 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.
- This accounts for 31 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
- Sixteen percent of motor vehicle crashes involve drugs (legal or illegal) other than alcohol.
