Johnston County, NC (January 10, 2021) – A woman was killed in a crash that left a Johnston County deputy with serious injuries on Saturday, January 9th. The crash took place around 2:30 p.m on U.S. Highway 301 near Micro.
According to officials, Johnston County Deputy Quinton Rhue was responding to a call and traveling in the northbound lanes of U.S. 301 with his blue lights and siren activated. Rhule was approaching traffic ahead of him when he tried to pass on the left. At the same time, 63-year-old Shirley James was slowing to make a left turn. Rhue’s patrol car collided with Jame’s GMC Sonoma causing both vehicles to spin off the roadway and suffer serious damage.
James was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead as a result of injuries suffered in the crash. Rhue was extricated from his vehicle by firefighters and transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. There were no other vehicles involved in the crash.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing at this time. There is no further information available.
We would like to offer our condolences to the family of Shirley James and we hope that Deputy Rhue is able to make a full recovery following this crash in Johnston County.
Car Accidents in North Carolina 
The North Carolina Department of Transportation reports that there were nearly 1,500 fatal collisions on North Carolina’s roadways in 2018. In addition, approximately 80,000 people were hurt in traffic crashes throughout our state. The Triangle area has seen a significant amount of population growth over the last several years. This has resulted in increased traffic volume and a higher proportion of negligent drivers on the roadways. As a result, innocent victims are more likely to find themselves involved in an injury crash.
There is nothing more devastating than the sudden loss of a loved one due to a North Carolina car accident. Families who lose their loved ones lose the companionship and financial support of a close family member. Recovering from such a tragedy can be extremely difficult, especially when the crash was someone else’s fault.
Under North Carolina, a wrongful death claim may be filed against a negligent driver who was responsible for the untimely death. The deceased’s next-of-kin can pursue these claims on behalf of their loved one at any time within two years after the date of death. Wrongful death claims are complicated and should only be handled by an experienced attorney.
North Carolina wrongful death lawyer Jason M. Burton understands what you are going through during this difficult time. At Burton Law Firm, we assist crash victims and their families in obtaining justice and compensation when they have been victimized by the careless actions of a third party. We handle all types of serious accident cases, including wrongful death, and we would be honored to assist you as well. From our offices in Raleigh, we serve clients throughout the Triangle area, including Wake, Durham, and Orange counties.
We are here for you when you need us the most. Our consultations are always free to potential clients. To schedule your appointment, please contact us using the link on our website or give us a call at (833) 623-0042.
Note: Burton Law Firm utilizes a variety of outside sources in the creation of these accident news posts. These sources include news bulletins, police reports, first-hand accounts, news stories, as well as additional outside sources. For this reason, the details surrounding this accident have not been independently verified by our office or writing staff. If you find information that is not correct about an accident that we have written about, please contact our firm as soon as possible so that we can promptly correct the information. If you would prefer that we remove the story, contact us directly and we will make every effort to remove the story in a timely manner.
Disclaimer: Our team of personal injury lawyers at Burton Law Firm has taken pride in being active members of our local business community for more than 8 years. We are always striving to improve the quality of life for our community members and improve the overall safety and well-being of all North Carolinians. We hope that by providing this information about the dangers of driving that we will bring added awareness and drivers will use increased caution when operating a motor vehicle. Our thoughts are with everyone who may have been affected by this incident. This post is not a solicitation for business. None of the information in this post should be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. The photos in this post are not a depiction of the actual accident scene.