Police Seek Driver at Fault in Deadly N.C. Collision

The North Carolina Highway Patrol is seeking a driver who is responsible for causing a four-car collision on N.C. 43 that killed one person and injured another.

Rocky Mount Telegram reports that 51-year-old veteran Tony Leon Leonard, of Rocky Mount, was killed in the crash when the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) transport van in which he was a passenger collided with an SUV and then overturned in a ditch. The driver of the van, 63-year-old Yattie Williams, was injured and treated at Vidant Medical Center. Williams is a DAV volunteer, who was transporting Leonard home from a clinic appointment.

According to reports, the accident began when a black vehicle entered the southbound lane on a cresting hill to pass northbound traffic in a no-passing zone. A Ford Expedition in the southbound lane braked for the oncoming black vehicle causing a Dodge Dakota following the Ford to hit the SUV from behind, spinning it into the northbound lane and the DAV van. The impact caused the van to overturn and the Ford then struck a Honda car that had been behind the van.

The at-fault driver fled the scene before police and emergency personnel could respond. Sgt. Gary Weaver, speaking to the Telegram, stated the unknown black vehicle was possibly a Honda Accord or a Nissan Maxima.

While the driver of the black vehicle remains at large, the driver of the Dodge, 30-year-old Jamie Warren, has been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. It was determined that Warren was following the Ford too closely to avoid hitting the vehicle when it braked.

When negligent and/or reckless driving leads to fatal injuries, the responsible parties can be held accountable. The Raleigh personal injury lawyers of Kelly & West represent individuals and families affected by such negligence. To speak with an attorney at our firm about a possible auto accident case, please contact us today.

NOTE: Kelly & West is not representing anyone mentioned in this news report.