State Police Report 20 Highway Deaths over Thanksgiving in Virginia and North Carolina

Virginia and North Carolina recorded a spate of fatal accidents over the Thanksgiving holiday but the death toll was lower than in 2014.

Virginia State Police said six people lost their lives on Virginia’s highways over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend – half of them in Hampton Roads.

In North Carolina, 14 people lost their lives over the Thanksgiving holiday. The number of fatal car, truck and motorcycle accidents, usually spikes over holidays such as Thanksgiving, New Year and July 4.

Three of the fatal crashes occurred in the Hampton Roads cities of Hampton, Newport News and Norfolk. The victims included a man who died in a fiery wreck after a police chase on I-64 in Newport News.

Virginia State Police took part in an operation from Wednesday through Sunday of the holiday called Combined Accident Reduction Effort. C.A.R.E is a state-sponsored national program that aims to cut down on traffic accidents and fatalities. There was some evidence that the enforcement may have had a positive effect.

Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent said in a press release that six deaths was still six too many but “the lower number of traffic deaths for this past Thanksgiving weekend is encouraging.”

Drunk driving traditionally spikes over the holidays and there was a DUI arrest after the fatal accident in Hampton. The holiday weekend also brought a total of 145 DUI arrests and over 14,000 reckless driver and speeding citations.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said 14 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across the state over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Troopers attended accidents that involved two people being killed in Davidson and Stokes counties. Two people were killed in separate accidents in Cumberland County.

Although the death toll hit double figures in North Carolina, it’s a reduction on 2014 when 21 people were killed in traffic accidents during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Deaths on the highways are tragic and avoidable. Often another driver is to blame due to reckless driving, excess speed, a mistake, distracted driving or driving while intoxicated.

If you have lost a loved one, you may have rights to make an insurance claim against the policy of the driver who caused the crash. It may be the driver of a car that your family member was a passenger in. While nothing can bring your loved one back, a wrongful death lawsuit can help you provide for the future needs of your family and help you cope with the financial hardships that his or her death has left behind. Talk to our Virginia wrongful death attorneys at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation.