Hampstead, NC (October 13, 2021) – A 28-year-old woman was killed in a crash involving a deputy with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office. The crash took place on Sunday, October 10th along U.S. 17 near Union Bethel Road.
According to reports, 28-year-old Courtney Kirkham was walking along the roadway when she was hit by a patrol vehicle driven by Deputy Nicholas Hesse. EMS arrived at the scene where Kirkham was later pronounced dead. No further information regarding the incident has been released at this time. There were no other vehicles or individuals involved.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. It is not clear if any charges are expected to be filed.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family of Courtney Kirkham following this tragic hit-and-run crash in Hampstead.
Fatal Accidents in Hampstead 
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, more than 1,400 people were tragically killed in car accidents across our state in 2019. In addition, there were nearly 90,000 people who sustained injuries in traffic accidents. Among these victims, there were more than 500 people who were killed in pedestrian accidents. There is certainly nothing more tragic than the loss of a loved one in a North Carolina pedestrian crash.
In the aftermath of a pedestrian accident in Hampstead, you may have valuable and important legal rights. Law enforcement will typically conduct an investigation at the scene in order to determine responsibility for the crash. In a pedestrian accident, police will typically look to determine whether the driver or the pedestrian violated any traffic laws or whether the crash could have been avoided through the exercise of reasonable caution. Following an investigation, police may issue charges against the responsible individual. If you or your loved one were not at fault for the accident, you could be entitled to compensation.
Car Accident Lawyers in Hampstead
Under North Carolina law, family members may be entitled to file a wrongful death claim if their loved one was killed in a crash. The law allows family members two years from the date of the crash in order to file a claim. Wrongful death actions are very complicated and should only be handled by a Hampstead wrongful death lawyer with sufficient experience in this area.
Here at Burton Law Firm, we have nearly a decade of experience handling the most difficult accident claims. During that time, we have proudly represented numerous family members who have tragically lost their loved ones too soon. From our office in Raleigh, we represent crash victims and families throughout eastern North Carolina. Since 2012, we have recovered more than 40 million dollars in total compensation for our clients.
Our car accident lawyers in Hampstead are standing by to help you at any time. Our firm proudly provides a free consultation for all potential and prospective clients. During the consultation, we will go over your case and discuss a plan to help you move forward. To schedule your appointment with a member of our team, 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.