John Wellington, 84, Joyce Wellington, 69, and James Douglas Wellington, 65, killed in head-on crash with alleged impaired driver in Hoke County, North Carolina

Modified Date:

Tue, 08/18/2015 - 8:44am

Accident Date:

Monday, August 17, 2015

Couple, son killed in NC head-on crash; man charged

A man, his wife, and his son are dead following a head-on crash in Hoke County. The three people in the second vehicle were killed. Authorities tell local media outlets the wreck happened about noon Monday when a car veered across the center line of a highway and hit a second vehicle. They were identified as 84-year-old John Wellington, his 69-year-old wife Joyce, and his 65-year-old son James Douglas Wellington. He is identified as 31-year-old Matthew Allen English of Pinehurst and faces several charges including reckless driving and driving while impaired.

Why every fatality from a crash is not legally a wrongful death

After someone dies in a motor-vehicle accident, grieving family members and friends are often left with many questions. What caused the accident? Could it have been avoided? What do they do now that their loved one is gone?

Sometimes a fatal collision happens through no one's fault. Crashes caused by weather and road conditions, or by wildlife in the roadway, are examples. But when a fatal crash is caused by negligence, then family members should pursue a wrongful death claim, to uphold the victim's rights and begin the financial recovery process. Learn more about wrongful death claims here.

Type: Drunk Driving

Topics:

Head-on

People Involved:

John Wellington

Joyce Wellington

James Douglas Wellington

Matthew Allen English

City:

Raeford, NC

County:

Hoke County, NC

Area:

Raleigh-Durham, NC