Latest news with #ChristopherCasey
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Can you drive in the left lane without passing in NC? What the law says
One of the first things you learn before you get your driver's license in North Carolina is that the left lane is the passing lane. In a perfect world, all drivers traveling below the speed limit stay in the right lane, allowing for those driving faster to safely pass them. But driving in North Carolina for any amount of time will tell you that's not the case. An easy solution to this problem would be to stay in the left lane to avoid getting stuck behind slow drivers. But is it legal to do that if you're not passing a vehicle? Here's what you need to know. Can you get a ticket for driving in the left lane without passing? Yes, but only if officers have a reason to stop you, Master Trooper Christopher Casey of the N.C. State Highway Patrol told The Observer. 'It comes down to officer discretion and whether there has been a clear-cut, substantial violation of the law,' Casey said. There's no state law that specifically prohibits drivers from driving in the left lane without passing, Casey said, but officers could issue tickets for other offenses, such as speeding or reckless driving. Can you get a ticket for driving too slowly in the left lane? Yes. But whether or not you'll get a ticket for driving slowly in the left lane depends on the officer who pulls you over, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. North Carolina law requires drivers moving slower than the speed limit to keep right — unless they're passing another vehicle or making a left turn. But the state doesn't have a specific law that makes it illegal to drive slowly in the left lane, Casey said. But a bill the currently sits in the state House could change that. House Bill 864 would make it illegal for a person to 'operate a motor vehicle in the left lane of a multilane highway at a speed that impedes the normal and reasonable movement of traffic,' meaning officers could issue citations to drivers traveling too slow in the passing lane, The News & Observer previously reported. For now, drivers could face a citation for impeding traffic, which is prohibited under state law. 'You could get a ticket for it, but the officer would have to articulate what they were doing to impede traffic versus just not going as fast as someone wanted them to,' Casey said. Driving well below the speed limit isn't automatically against the law, he added. 'In some cases, it's actually necessary.' Can you get a ticket for speeding around a slow driver? Even if you're stuck behind a slow driver, speeding to pass them isn't allowed in North Carolina — and you could get a ticket for it, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The state uses absolute speed limits, which means driving even slightly over the posted limit is a violation of the law. According to Coast to Coast NC Law Group, exceeding the speed limit can result in a misdemeanor charge. Ask the North Carolina Service Journalism Team Have a question about your community you'd like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you'd like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you. If you have a question about the Charlotte area, send The Charlotte Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. If you have a question about Raleigh or a Triangle area community, send The News & Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form. It's almost tax-free weekend. Here's a list of places to shop near Charlotte Charlotte ranked among most liveable cities in the world. See the full list Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Car slams into lemonade stand, critically injuring three girls, NC troopers say
Three girls were critically hurt when a Nissan ran off the road and slammed directly into their front yard lemonade stand, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol. It happened around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 10, near the intersection of Conley and Arthur Mull roads near Morganton, the Highway Patrol said in a June 11 news release. The girls are ages 7, 8 and 9, officials said. Their identities and specifics about their injuries have not been released. 'A 2007 Chevrolet HHR was attempting to turn left from a public driveway and pulled into the path of a 2017 Nissan Altima traveling north on Conley Road,' Master Trooper Christopher Casey reported in the release. 'This collision caused the Nissan to drive off the right side of the roadway and collide with three children. The three female children, who had set up a lemonade stand in the front yard ... were transported to area hospitals in critical condition.' The drivers were not injured, he said. Video recorded at the scene by WSOC shows the lemonade stand was flattened, and the vehicle came to rest in a front yard with damage to its front and back ends. The driver who collided with the lemonade stand has not been charged, officials said. The 24-year-old Hickory woman who was driving the Chevrolet HHR was cited for 'failure to yield right of way causing serious bodily injury,' officials said. The Nissan driver was identified as a 29-year-old woman from Forest City, officials said. 'The initial investigation does not indicate impairment or speed as contributing factors,' the Highway Patrol said. Jessica Tallent, who identified herself as the mother of one of the girls, said she initially thought her daughter was killed, WCNC reported. 'We thought all three of them were dead,' Tallent told the station. 'I was bawling my eyes out.' Her daughter's injuries were not as serious as the other girls, and the child is currently recovering at home, the station said. Morganton is about a 75-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Vintage plane crashes near rural cafe, injuring 2 people, NC State Highway Patrol says
The pilot of a vintage airplane crashed near a rural cafe in Alexander County on Friday afternoon, injuring himself and a passenger, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol. The single-engine 1947 Pietenpol crashed as the pilot tried to land in a private field near the 5500 block of Rink Dam Road, Trooper Christopher Casey said. Casey identified the pilot as 74-year-old Gregory Alan Deal of Morganton. Deal and his passenger were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the trooper said. The Highway Patrol didn't release the passenger's name and age. The plane crashed about 12:50 p.m. near Crossroads Grill. The Highway Patrol secured the scene, and the FAA will investigate the crash, Casey said.
