Kinston, NC (April 24, 2021) – A man and a woman were killed and a woman is now facing charges following a deadly car accident in Kinston earlier this week. The crash happened on Tuesday, April 20th on Wallace Family Road at the intersection with Tilghman Mill Road.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, 42-year-old Kimberly Barrett was operating a vehicle westbound on Tilghman Mill Road around 7:00 p.m. when she ran a stop sign at the intersection. At the same time, 37-year-old Antonio Rhem and 39-year-old Regina Rhem were traveling southbound on Wallace Family Road. Barrett’s vehicle collided with the vehicle operated by the Rhems. The Rhem’s vehicle landed on top of Barrett’s vehicle. Both Antonio and Regina Rhem died at the crash scene.
Following an investigation, Barrett was charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and one count of running a stop sign. No additional information has been released at this time.
We would like to extend our most sincere condolences to the families of Antonio and Regina Rhem following this tragic car accident in Kinston.
Fatal Crashes in North Carolina 
There is nothing more heartbreaking or devastating than the loss of a loved one due to a North Carolina car accident. These tragic crashes take place each and every day on our roadways. Sadly, there were nearly 1,500 fatalities reported due to traffic accidents across our state in 2019. The number of fatal accidents has remained steady over the past several years, even as the number of total collisions has risen dramatically. Many of those who are seriously hurt or killed in a car accident in North Carolina are innocent victims who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although we should always take all possible safety precautions to avoid a crash in the first place, many victims are placed in a vulnerable position due to the actions of a negligent motorist.
Under our state’s law, family members of crash victims may be entitled to bring a claim for compensation when their loved one has been killed in an accident. North Carolina wrongful death law allows these claims to be brought within two years of the date of death. A wrongful death lawsuit is typically filed when another person’s negligence has led directly to the death of an innocent person. When a driver causes a crash that results in death, the victim’s family or personal representative has the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Here at Burton Law Firm, we have experience handling these complex cases. North Carolina wrongful death attorney Jason M. Burton understands what you are going through during this difficult time and is here to help. From our office in Raleigh, we serve communities and clients across eastern North Carolina and we would be honored to assist you as well.
Our firm is standing by to speak with you at any time. To schedule your free initial consultation, please contact us via 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.