Wilmington, NC (July 19, 2021) – A woman is dead and several others are injured following a car accident in Wilmington over the weekend. The crash took place around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 17th.
Troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene on Gordon Road shortly after the accident occurred. According to police, 20-year-old Ernest Eddins, III was driving a Toyota Tacoma at a high rate of speed in the eastbound lanes of Gordon Road. Eddings attempted to pass a Mazda SUV in a no-passing zone. As he moved to pass the Mazda, his vehicle collided head-on with a Subaru SUV operated by James Harrelson, of Wilmington. The Mazda and the Subaru then collided before all vehicles came to rest.
Harrelson’s passenger, Linda Harrelson, died at the crash scene. Four other people, including three children, were transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Following an investigation, Eddins was charged with driving while impaired, felony death by motor vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, driving with a revoked license, and possession of a controlled substance. Additional charges are pending the outcome of an investigation.
Eddins was placed under a 1 million dollar bond. No further information is available.
Our thoughts and most sincere condolences go out to those affected by this tragic accident in Wilmington.
Fatal Car Accidents in North Carolina 
North Carolina is now one of the 10 worst states in the country when it comes to total arrests and fatalities related to DWI crashes. In 2018, our state had 27,915 arrests for impaired driving and 421 reported fatalities due to impaired driving crashes. This number has continued to increase over the years as drunk driving remains a major hazard to all motorists. Driving while impaired is one of the most negligent behaviors in which a motorist can engage as it endangers the life of not only the impaired driver but also the numerous other motorists on the roadway at any given time. Drivers who are impaired lack the reaction time and judgment that is necessary to safely operate a vehicle.
If you have been hurt by a drunk driver, you should speak with an attorney regarding your legal rights as soon as possible. Drunk driving crashes in North Carolina present special legal issues. Victims of these accidents could be entitled to additional compensation in the form of punitive damages. Punitive damage awards are designed to punish the negligent driver for especially reckless or dangerous behavior and driving while impaired typically falls into this category. A Wilmington drunk driving accident lawyer can help protect your legal rights.
At Burton Law Firm, we stand ready to help those who have suffered injuries due to the negligence of another. We have the skills and experience that are needed to ensure that you recover the maximum amount to which you are entitled. North Carolina car accident lawyer Jason M. Burton takes pride in making sure that innocent victims are not financially responsible for someone else’s negligence.
We are standing by to take your call at any time. To schedule your free appointment, please contact us using the link on our website or give us a call any time 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.