If you live in North Carolina, then you have no doubt heard about NC’s crackdown on speeders. You may have discussed the clampdown at the water cooler, or perhaps you had a firsthand experience with a pullover. The crackdown hit in the month of April. Locally, there was a targeted effort to catch and stop excessive speeders on I-85, who are often directly or indirectly responsible for the worst part of any law enforcement officer’s job—informing the next of kin of a loved one’s death which was caused, at least in part, by the consequences of excessive speeds.
Speeding and reckless driving on I-85 is dangerous. Combine speed with drunk driving, and you have a real recipe for disaster. We did some research, and here’s a look at alcohol-related incidents on our local highway from the past few years:
3 Die in Wrong Way Crash
According to WRAL.com, three people died in a head-on collision on I-85 on a Sunday morning in July 2015. Law enforcement identified alcohol and underage drinking as a major factor in the crash.
The avoidable incident occurred shortly after 3 AM. Chandler Kania was driving north in a southbound lane. His Jeep Wrangler struck Felecia Harris, 49, who was driving a Suzuki. Harris and two of her three passengers, including a 6-year-old, were killed. Kania was charged with DWI, careless and reckless driving, and possession of an open container under the age of 21.
10 Year Prison Sentence for I-85 DWI
In 2010, a North Carolina woman was the recipient of a 10-year prison sentence due to an alcohol and drug-related wreck on I-85 that injured a child. At the time of the wreck, Amber McGill was driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and Xanax. She sped and weaved through traffic before crossing the cable barrier and hitting a southbound car carrying two.
Luckily, no one died, but 14-year-old Taylor Francis was injured. McGill’s blood alcohol level was read at .097 at the time of the incident.
Alcohol-Related Car Accidents on I-85
According to FleetOwner.com, numerous alcohol-related accidents occurred in 2010 and 2011 and were recorded when officers cracked down on tractor-trailers parking on the sides of the interstate. Here’s the summary:
- 2010: A driver impaired by alcohol ran off an I-85 off-ramp, striking a tractor-trailer parked on the shoulder. The driver died.
- 2011: A driver impaired by alcohol drove his pickup truck off an I-85 on-ramp, striking a tractor-trailer that was parked on the shoulder. Two passengers in the pickup died.
Alcohol and Driving Don’t Mix
The major lesson to be learned is that alcohol and driving do not mix. Interstates like I-85 are dangerous enough without the addition of impairment due to alcohol or another substance. All of these incidents could have been lessened if not completely avoided if the drivers’ had chosen not to drink and drive.
When you drink, you can choose whether or not to drive. Make the right choice. Call a cab. Call a friend. Give up the keys. Save a life; don’t drink and drive.