Hit and Run Hickory Car Crash Involving Drunk Driver Leaves One Person Dead
Hickory police have arrested two people in connection with the North Carolina hit-and-run car crash that killed Charlaine Taylor Sybrant and injured Joshua Keith Gajus on October 18. The North Carolina pedestrians were walking on the side of Highway 321 after their vehicle ran out of gas when they were hit by an auto that did not stay at the crash site.
Sybrant, a 22-year-old Appalachian State student, died at the Hickory car accident site. Gas, 24, injured his leg.
About an hour after the accident, Valdese police stopped a vehicle that was heavily damaged. Daniel Thomas Whisnant, 18, was arrested for driving while impaired, two counts of felony hit and run, felony serious injury by motor vehicle, and felony death by motor vehicle.
A few days after the Hickory drunk driving accident, police arrested Joey Lee Durham, 20, and charged him with one count of felony accessory after the fact. Police believe that Durham was riding in the car driven by Whisnant when he allegedly struck the two pedestrians. They are charging him for not telling police about the Hickory, North Carolina motor vehicle accident.
North Carolina Car Accidents
Even if the driver you believe caused the North Carolina car crash fled the traffic accident site, you should still contact a Hickory car crash lawyer to explore your legal options for recovery. Injuries from an auto accident can be more serious than they at first appear and you may need all the help you can get to cover medical and recovery costs if you want to recover.
Drunk driving, distracted driving, careless driving, driver error, and driver recklessness are among the most common causes of car crashes and negligent motorists can be held liable for personal injury or wrongful death.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,733 people died in drunk driving accidents in 2008. That’s 32% of all traffic deaths for the year—that’s nearly 12,000 people who might still be alive today if only certain motorists had not been driving drunk.
Student gets $37,500 after door crushed finger, OC Register, October 27, 2009
Hickory Officials Make Second Arrest in Sunday Morning Deadly Hit-and-Run, GoBlueRidgeNet, October 22, 2009
Alcohol-Impaired Driving, NHTSA 2008 Traffic Safety Facts (PDF)
Related Web Resources:
The Heavy Cost Of Drunk Driving, DrunkDriving.org
Motor Vehicle Safety, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
