North Carolina Man Charged After Crash Kills Off Duty Officer

Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “Can I wait a few months to pursue a personal injury claim?”

 

Criminal charges have been filed against a North Carolina Department of Transportation Worker who crashed his vehicle into an oncoming minivan. The accident was serious and left an off-duty Tarboro, NC police officer dead.

 

According to news reports, the 29-year-old worker, William Harrell II, faces charges of driving left-of-center and with misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle. Harrell was released on $2,5000 unsecured bond and will reappear in court later this summer to answer the charges.

 

The accident occurred when Officer Charles Johnson was driving his Honda Odyssey west on NC 111 just outside Tarboro. The accident happened in the morning and occurred when a NCDOT excavator being driven by Harrell drifted out of its lane. Police say that Harrell crossed the centerline and smashed into Johnson’s minivan, with the force of the crash being absorbed by the driver side area of the car.

 

The force of the accident was so great that Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Harrell’s excavator ended up being pushed off the road, though reports indicate that he survived with only minor injuries. Officials say that in addition to a criminal investigation into the crash, the NCDOT has launched its own investigation into what may have gone wrong.

 

The NCDOT is reviewing the condition of the excavator involved in the crash and checking to see if proper safety procedures were followed. Harrell will be required to submit to medical testing, a standard procedure in such accidents. The NCDOT has also revealed that the excavator involved in the accident had only just left a nearby maintenance yard moments before the collisions. Whether that had something to do with the tragic accident has yet to be concluded, though it is one of several options being pursued by investigators.

 

If you, or someone you know, have any questions regarding personal injury claims, please feel free to contact the experienced personal injury attorneys and lawyers in Charlotte, North Carolina at Arnold & Smith, PLLC for a free consultation. Call at 704-370-2828 or click here for additional resources.

 

About the Author:

Matthew Arnold is a Managing Member with Arnold & Smith, PLLC where he focuses his practice on Personal Injury, Family Law and Business Litigation. Mr. Arnold began his career handling insurance defense litigation for several major insurance companies. He also went on to handle business litigation cases and high value mortgage fraud cases, primarily in Superior Court.

Mr. Arnold grew up in Charlotte, graduating from Providence Senior High School and continued his education at Belmont Abbey College on a basketball scholarship. After graduating cum laude he attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a full academic scholarship. In his spare time, Mr. Arnold enjoys golfing and spending time on the North Carolina Coast with his wife and three young children: two daughters and one son.

 

Source:

“Charges filed in wreck that killed Tarboro police officer,” published at WCTI12.com.

 

 

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