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Speeding May Have Been the Cause of Deadly North Carolina Accident that Left Three People Dead and Another Person in Critical Condition

A deadly North Carolina motor vehicle crash that occurred outside Lillington on Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Shady Grove Road and N.C. 210 has left three young people dead and one adult with serious injuries. According to State Highway Patrol, excessive speeding may have been the cause of the multi-vehicle crash.

Police say they believe that 20-year-old Sharon Southerland was driving her 2000 Lincoln at a speed of 90mph when she lost control of the vehicle, which crossed the center line and struck another vehicle headed in the opposite direction. A 2008 Ford passenger sedan, driven by Spring Lake resident Timothy Evan, drove into Southerland?s speeding Lincoln, while the car of Raleigh resident George Tracy, was struck by flying debris.

Southerland and her two passengers, Abraham Ryan Lowe, 18, and Ashley Williams Richardt, 21, died from injuries they sustained in the crash. Lowe and Richardt were siblings. Evan was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with serious injuries. Tracy was not injured in the auto crash.

According to the NC State Highway Patrol, the Lincoln was moving at such a fast speed that it split in half upon impact. Southerland and Richardt, who were sitting in the front of the car, were ejected from their seats.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2005:

? Over 13,000 people died in the US in speeding-related motor vehicle crashes.
? Speeding was a contributing cause in 30% of all deadly crashes in the US that year.
? 86% of all speeding-related traffic deaths happened on non-interstate roads where the speed limits were no more than 55 mph.

Mother Of Crash Victims Warns Others To Slow Down, Dunn Daily Record, November 6, 2008

NHTSA Speed Campaign Tool Kit

Related Web Resources:

North Carolina Department of Transportation

Speeding, SafeRoads.org

Full post as published by North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog on November 10, 2008 (boomark / email).