When accidents occur as a result of reckless decision-making, residents in Alamance County who suffer personal injury as a result often have a sense of incomprehension as to why or how their painful circumstances have come about. The same goes for the families of loved ones who have died because of another person's reckless or negligent behavior. Drunk drivers who get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle and cause personal injury can be charged not only with DWI, but also with wrongful death, as the driver's behavior may be shown to be reckless or negligent.

With these issues in mind, Alamance County residents will be saddened to hear of a tragic accident that took the life of a 24-year-old North Carolina woman. Drunk driving is suspected to be a cause of the crash, and more charges are pending for the driver.

The single-vehicle accident happened around 2 a.m. on Saturday morning. The driver, who was said to have prior DWI convictions, crashed his SUV on a dirt road in rainy conditions. The investigating officers believe the vehicle was travelling too fast for rainy weather when it left the road and hit a tree, killing the young woman, who was a passenger.

A total of five people were in the vehicle at the time, including the driver, who has been charged with DWI.

When terrible auto accidents happen, the families of the victims often pursue a civil claim against the parties they believe to be responsible. In cases in which a death occurs, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed to determine if a driver behaved in a reckless or negligent manner. Such a lawsuit can never fully alleviate the grief of losing a loved one, though compensation may nonetheless be due for medical costs, funeral expenses and the devastating pain and suffering that may have resulted from an accident.

Source: wnct.com, "More charges pending in fatal Pamlico County wreck," Jan. 23, 2012