Lenoir, NC (October 27, 2020) – A 21-year-old woman from Boone was killed in a crash that took place in Lenoir on Monday, October 26th. The crash happened on U.S. 321 near the intersection with Indian Grave Road.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol responded to the crash scene around 3:15 p.m. According to troopers, 20-year-old Jesse Balcerak of Boone was driving a 2006 Ford Ranger in the northbound lanes of U.S. 321. Troopers report that Balcerak ran off the road to the left, before overcorrecting his vehicle, causing it to overturn several times. The truck then came to rest in the northbound lanes of the highway.
Balcerak sustained only minor injuries in the crash. His passenger, Deanna Jean Smith was killed in the accident. Smith was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash. There were no other vehicles involved and no additional injuries were reported.
Troopers are still investigating the crash at this time. There is no additional information.
We wish to extend our most sincere condolences to the family of Deanna Jean Smith following this tragic accident in Lenoir.
Fatal Car Accidents in North Carolina 
More than 1,400 people, on average, are killed each year in North Carolina car accidents. The cause of these crashes will vary, however, most serious and fatal accidents are caused by the actions of negligent motorists. Speeding, impairment, reckless driving, and can all play a role in motor vehicle accidents in our state. Police must carefully investigate each fatal crash in order to determine the cause of the accident and which driver should be held responsible for the collision.
When you have lost a loved one to a North Carolina car accident, you are no doubt experiencing strong emotions. During this time, your focus should be solely on your family and how to move forward following a sudden tragedy. The last thing you should have to worry about is handling a complicated legal claim.
Under North Carolina law, you could have certain legal rights if your loved one was killed due to the direct actions of a negligent motorist. These rights include the right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver who caused the crash. A North Carolina wrongful death action seeks to recover compensation for various expenses, including funeral and medical bills and pain and suffering. Depending on how the crash took place, punitive damages may also be available to punish the negligent driver for their conduct.
A wrongful death claim should only be handled by a skilled and experienced North Carolina wrongful death attorney. At Burton Law Firm, attorney Jason M. Burton handles numerous accident claims on behalf of injured victims and their families. From our office in Raleigh, we assist clients throughout all areas of our state and we would be honored to assist you as well.
We are standing by to take your call at any time. Our firm offers free consultations and case evaluations to all prospective clients. To schedule your appointment, please give us a call at 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.