Police: Wrong-way drunk driver killed North Carolina woman

The initial news reports of the crash were short and to the point: An 80-year-old woman was badly injured in a North Carolina head-on crash by a wrong-way, DWI driver.

She died of the injuries a few days later, a TV station reported. The 28-year-old man who was headed north in the southbound lanes of Highway 52 in Winston-Salem has been charged with driving while impaired.

The elderly woman was a passenger in a car driven by a 56-year-old man. Another woman was also in the 2012 Toyota when it was struck head-on at about 10:40 p.m. Everyone inside the Toyota was injured in the wreck.

The impaired man driving the 2004 Nissan was also hospitalized with serious injuries, law enforcement officials said.

After the woman’s death, charges against him were upgraded to felony death by motor vehicle. He is also accused of DWI, driving without a driver’s license, traveling the wrong way on a highway and careless, reckless driving.

Research on the effects of alcohol on the human body shows that people who drink to excess will have diminished judgment, shortened attention spans, reduced muscle coordination, diminished vision and a wide variety of other depreciations of senses and capabilities.

Far too often the end result of drinking and driving is what happened in this tragic event: a motor vehicle crash takes a life and leaves others with injuries.

An experienced Charlotte personal injury attorney can help you hold the person responsible for your losses financially accountable. Contact the law offices of Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler for more information.