Time and again, people’s lives are harmed by the careless, reckless decision of someone who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. Unfortunately, we see another tragic example in a wreck that occurred on Interstate 440 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The operator of a Prius – a man named Rex Houston Todd – was killed. His passenger – Mrs. Mary Louise Todd – was seriously injured as the result of an alleged drunk driver. The 21-year-old driver who appears to have caused this awful incident was operating a Toyota pickup truck.
The wreck appears to have been spurred when the pickup truck crossed the median near Jones Franklin Road and hit Mr. Todd’s Toyota Prius, according to WRAL.com.
My deepest condolences go out to the Todd family. Losing someone you love is always heartbreaking, but the pain is exacerbated when the loss is sudden and totally unexpected. It also has to be infuriating to know that this incident may have been avoid if the 21-year-old driver exercised more caution and did not get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Let’s hope Mrs. Todd makes a speedy recovery from her injuries.
The 21-year-old driver is now facing multiple criminal charges including driving while impaired, felony death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving to endanger.
This incident is a stark reminder of the consequences of drunk driving. Three lives have now been permanently altered because of the 21-year-old driver’s decision to operate a vehicle while intoxicated (he’s now facing likely jail time and is likely liable for a wrongful death civil suit, based on the facts currently available).
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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