Wife killed, husband badly injured in North Carolina highway crash

It’s about a four-hour drive east of Charlotte to get to Edgecombe County. A sergeant with the county sheriff’s office there was recently involved in a fatal car accident.

Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland “Clee” Atkinson Jr. called the crash a “tragic accident.” There is no doubt that this was a terrible tragedy. A 41-year-old woman was killed and her husband suffered life-threatening injuries in the wreck.

The couple was driving their 2009 Chevy Malibu on a Wednesday afternoon. Also on the road at that time was the deputy, who was towing a car that had been abandoned on sheriff’s office property. The deputy used a tow dolly pulled behind a pick-up truck to move the vehicle.

The tow dolly came loose from the pick-up, however, while the deputy was driving. It veered across the road and slammed into the couple’s Malibu.

According to a news report, both the wife and husband were wearing seat belts at the time of the violent crash.

In a statement, the sheriff said the accident was unintentional and that the deputy is a valued member of the force.

The Highway Patrol said that speed did not appear to be a factor in the wreck.

Obviously, an investigation will determine what caused the crash. Was the dolly improperly attached to the pick-up? Did the tow dolly malfunction? Did the deputy maneuver the pick-up in a way that caused the dolly to detach?

We don’t know what the answer will turn out to be, but we do know that this kind of tragedy is almost always preventable. Families involved need answers and justice.

Skilled personal injury and wrongful death attorneys fight for answers and justice every day.