Austin Seeley Killed in North Carolina Highway 181 Crash
A young man named Austin Seeley from Johnson City, Tennessee was tragically killed in a car accident on Wednesday morning in North Carolina. The wreck happened around 6:00 am on N.C. Highway 181 near Perkins Avenue near Morganton, North Carolina.
According to available information, Mr. Seeley was riding in the back seat of a car driven by another young man from Tennessee. The driver was headed north on NC 181 when a collision occurred with an SUV headed south on NC 181. As a result of the crash, Mr. Seeley was tragically killed and another passenger named Halley Guinn was seriously injured. Ms. Guinn was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment.
Mr. Seeley was only 20 years old. Media reports indicate that Mr. Seeley was not wearing his seatbelt and that he may have survived had he been wearing a seatbelt. It is certainly unfortunate that this report suggests that Mr. Seeley may have been partially to blame for this tragic outcome. Under North Carolina law, all passengers of a motor vehicle are required to wear a seat belt. However, under this law, the failure to wear a seat belt is not to be considered in a case for the injury or death of a vehicle occupant.
Regarding what happened in the accident, we understand that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is still investigating this collision and there may be charges forthcoming against one or more of the drivers.