It was a truck that was being illegally towed that took the life of a police officer in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, reports WITN News. The tragic incident has shaken the local community and the Rocky Mount Police have asked people to respect the privacy of the officer’s family at this time. The young officer was recently laid to rest and is survived by his wife.
Officers have since arrested 38-year-old Timmy Dixon and 46-year-old Derrick Sheffield for their involvement in a two-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of Christopher Driver, a 27-year-old senior officer with the Rocky Mount police. Driver had been with the department since 2013 and was just promoted to the rank of senior police officer this past August.
Driver was heading down South Church Street in the city in the evening when his car rear-ended what appeared to be a deteriorating truck used for tree trimming that was stranded on the side of the road. According to David Finch, a sergeant with the local highway patrol, Sheffield had purchased the truck but was trying to illegally tow it into a nearby lot when its brakes failed. Although the flashers on the truck were on the time of the accident, Finch said the lenses were in such poor condition that very little light was visible, and Sheffield had left the vehicle with Dixon, a friend. Dixon was present at the time the collision occurred but reportedly left soon after, and neither Dixon nor Sheffield called emergency services to help the injured officer, according to the state patrol.
State troopers believe that Driver – who was on duty at the time of the crash and not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision – was on his way to respond to a suspicious vehicle call, which also involved the potential theft of the tree trimming truck he collided with. State troopers say he was speeding at the time, but he did try to brake and swerve to avoid hitting the truck. Unfortunately, he was not able to avoid the truck in time, and Driver was pronounced dead from his injuries at the accident scene.
Dixon has been charged with felony hit and run, death by vehicle as a misdemeanor, and leaving the scene of an accident. Sheffield was also charged, and he’s facing leaving a vehicle unsecured or unattended in a roadway and death by vehicle as a misdemeanor.
Dixon has since been released after posting a bond of $7,000, and Sheffield was also released on a $5,000 bond from a local county jail.
When a car strikes a truck, the car is almost always on the losing side because of the differences in weight and protection between the two vehicles. A truck accident can result in property damage, pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost wages from work. If you’ve been in an accident with a truck, you have rights and may be entitled to compensation. Speak to an attorney, like a trucking accident lawyer Denver, CO trusts, about your case as soon as you can.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from The Law Office of Richard Banta, P.C. for their insight into truck accidents.