Duplin County, NC (January 30, 2020) – Troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the scene of a fatal crash in Duplin County earlier this week. The accident happened around 8:00 a.m. on January 26th, near Beulaville and Chinquapin.
Officials responded to Highway 41 in reference to the collision. According to a law enforcement report, 32-year-old Zachary Etheridge, and 44-year-old Tracey Stalker were traveling in opposite directions on Highway 41. For reasons unknown at this time, one of the vehicles crossed over the centerline of the highway and struck the other vehicle head-on. Both Etheridge and Stalker died at the accident scene. There were no other vehicles involved.
Troopers are not clear at this time which vehicle crossed the dividing line. An investigation into the accident is ongoing and there is no further information available.
Our most sincere condolences go out to the families of the two victims of this head-on crash in Duplin County.
Fatal Car Accidents in North Carolina 
There is nothing more devastating and heartbreaking than the sudden loss of a friend or relative to a North Carolina car accident. The feelings of loss and pain are magnified when your loved one was killed due to the negligent or careless actions of another driver. According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, there were 285,074 reported car accidents in North Carolina in 2019. Sadly, 1,470 people were killed in these accidents, many of them innocent victims who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Following a crash, it is normal to have questions about your legal rights. If your loved one was killed in a crash that was not their fault, you could be entitled to file a wrongful death claim. Under North Carolina law, a wrongful death action can be brought by a family member when the victim was killed by the negligence of another driver and the victim would have survived except for the other driver’s negligence. A wrongful death action must be filed within two years of the date of death and there are several legal requirements associated with filing these claims. Only an experienced North Carolina wrongful death attorney can effectively assist you.
At Burton Law Firm, we have the skills and experience needed to help you get through this difficult time. While there is no amount of money that can replace the loss of a family member, the compensation you can receive will help you with the unexpected expenses that you are now facing. Attorney Jason M. Burton approaches each case as if it were his own and his passion for achieving justice ensures that our clients are always well-represented. Since 2012, our firm has successfully recovered over 40 million dollars in compensation for innocent accident victims.
We are standing by and are ready to take your call at any time. Our office provides a free consultation and case evaluation for all potential and prospective clients. To schedule your appointment with a member of our team, please reach out to 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.