Lexington, NC (December 13, 2021) – A 42-year-old woman was killed in a car accident that took place over the weekend in Lexington. The crash happened on Sunday, December 12th around 5:30 p.m. on North Carolina Highway 8 near Hugh Miller Road.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Kristian O’Leary was traveling southbound along NC 8 when her car crossed the center line. As she entered the northbound lanes, the vehicle collided head-on with a car driven by Bethany Pennino. Pennino suffered critical injuries and died at the accident scene. O’Leary was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Following an investigation, troopers charged O’Leary with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. There is no word on what caused her to cross the centerline. An investigation into the accident is ongoing. No additional details are available.
We would like to offer our most sincere condolences to the family of Bethany Pennino following this deadly car accident in Lexington.
Fatal Crashes in North Carolina 
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, more than 1,400 people were tragically killed in car accidents that took place on our state’s roadways in 2019. While each accident must be carefully investigated, the large majority of car accidents in North Carolina take place due to the negligence of at least one driver. These accidents happen suddenly and usually without any warning and often involve injuries or death for innocent victims.
In North Carolina, there are laws in place for crash victims and their families to hold negligent drivers responsible for their actions. Under our state’s personal injury laws, victims who were not at fault for the accident can seek to recover compensation. The amount of compensation available depends on a variety of factors. Your case should be examined by an experienced accident attorney in order to determine the recovery to which you may be entitled.
Lexington Car Accident Lawyers
Here at Burton Law Firm, our car accident lawyers in Lexington can help when you have suffered injuries or a sudden loss due to a crash. From our office in Raleigh, we help clients throughout North Carolina and the Triad region. With nearly a decade of experience, attorney Jason M. Burton has handled numerous serious and complex accident claims and is here to help during your time of greatest need. Since we first began assisting clients in 2012, we have recovered more than 40 million dollars in total compensation for innocent crash victims and their families and we would be honored to assist you as well.
Our firm is here and stands ready to review your case at any time. We always provide a free consultation and case evaluation for potential and prospective clients. Our team of Lexington car accident attorneys will review your case at no charge and explain your legal options so that you can make a fully informed decision regarding your future. To schedule your appointment with a member of our team, please reach out to us at the link on our website or give us a call at (800) 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.