North Carolina mom talks about teen son in aftermath of car crash

Charlotte is about three hours southwest of Vance County. The sparsely populated rural area was the site of a violent crash that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old girl and critical injuries to a 17-year-old boy. The boy’s mother said she has been told by doctors that her son is not expected to survive.

Law enforcement officials say they believe the 29-year-old man who caused the crash was under the influence of a controlled substance while behind the wheel of an SUV.

The teen boy’s mother said that if her son does not survive, his organs will be donated. “My baby was a lively person, and he has a lot of energy,” she said in an interview. “And I can see that energy going into someone who’s sick, and them being revived to the point where they have that same level of energy and excitement for life.”

She said her son underwent brain surgery after the crash, but has not opened his eyes since.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol officers believe the man driving the SUV was under the influence of an unnamed drug at the time of the crash. They said his vehicle failed to decrease speed when the car ahead of him slowed to turn left into a driveway.

After the wreck, the man fled the scene on foot, officials said, but was soon apprehended.

The mother of the teen boy said she plans to attend every court appearance the driver makes. “I’m going to let him know that my child was a human being,” she said. “(He) did not deserve to be treated . . . the way that he was.”

Those who have lost loved ones can fight for justice with the help of an attorney experienced in wrongful death and personal injury litigation.