• March 16, 2023

Durham, NC -- March 7, 2023, a pedestrian was killed and a driver faces charges after an accident where a truck hit someone on Hillsborough.

Investigators said that the incident happened at around 11:00 a.m. along Hillsborough at the US 15/US 501 overpass.

Right now, exact details are still under investigation. Officials say that a dump truck attempted to make a left turn onto Hillsborough Road. While doing so, the truck somehow hit an unidentified pedestrian. The victim died as a result.

Authorities did not specify what caused the accident, but they say the truck driver will face a charge for misdemeanor death by vehicle. That apparent charge may at least shed light on who was responsible if not exactly what. I certainly don't know more about this incident than the rest of the public, but I did take a look at the North Carolina state code regarding misdemeanor death by vehicle.

To sum things up, the law basically says that someone commits this crime if:

1. The death was unintentional.
2. The charged person was violating a traffic law.
3. That violation of the law was the proximate cause of the death.

That last point that I emphasized is where this catches my attention. While the news does not say what led to the accident, the proximate cause of an accident is the action or event that ultimately is responsible for someone's injuries. To put it another way, if that thing hadn't happened, the victim likely would not have been injured.

Considering police feel they have enough information here to clear the high bar that is proving someone guilty in a criminal court, what law was this truck driver violating that apparently was the cause of the victim's death? Did they run a light? Were they on their phone? Are they unlicensed or driving on a suspended license? Does the truck not meet safety standards? I can only hope authorities are working just as hard (if not harder) to get answers for the victim's loved ones as they are to see this driver have their day in court.

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