Death in Chatham County Car Crash

Casey Estridge, 27, drove her Nissan Altima east on NC Highway 42 before crossing the center lane, running off the road and colliding in an embankment. Estridge was thrown from the car after it rolled over several times.

Typically SUVs are more prone to rollovers, but they can also be caused by tire blowouts, speeding on sharp turns or collisions with other structures. Estridge did not survive the Chatham County car accident and officials are still investigating the cause of the deadly NC crash.

From the description of the accident it appears--and has not been confirmed--that Estridge was driving her car without wearing a seatbelt. NC seat belt law states that anyone aged 16 or older in front and back seats must wear their seat belt. The penalty for driving without a seatbelt for adults in the front seat is $25.50 plus $135.50 in court costs (as of August 2011), for children under 10 in the back seat the penalty is $10 and no court costs, but in situations involving a collision, the real penalty is severe injury or death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an organization that maintains divisions specifically for occupational health like their Center for Injury Prevention and Control, seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 50%. Driving without a seatbelt puts the driver and passengers at risk for vehicle ejection in a crash and spinal injuries (especially if an air bag is involved).

There could have been defective brakes, Estridge could have been trying to avoid hitting an animal or another car, or she may have had a health condition that caused her to lose control of the vehicle. An investigation is being made.

Car accident attorneys in Raleigh, Dunn and Fayetteville with Brent Adams & Associates help North Carolina families file wrongful death claims after losing a loved one to someone else's negligence. If someone you know suffered the death of someone they love or have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, there may be compensation available. A lengthy recovery, lost work and high medical bills cause stress that innocent injured people shouldn't have to endure.