A young motorcyclist lost his life last week when a left-turning driver crossed his path and kept going. The crash illustrates one of the most common and most deadly right-of-way violations on North Carolina roads, and it raises legal questions that extend well beyond the criminal charges.
The Crash on Ramsey Street
According to ABC11, the collision occurred Friday night at approximately 10:17 p.m. at the intersection of Ramsey Street and Fernwood Drive. Investigators report that a 2025 Honda CB750 motorcycle, traveling south on Ramsey Street with a green light, was struck by a 2013 Nissan Altima turning left onto Fernwood Drive. The driver of the Nissan left the scene.
The motorcyclist, 25-year-old Ean Alexander Gaskins of Fayetteville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police recovered the abandoned car nearby and made an arrest. The driver was charged with death by motor vehicle, felony hit and run, driving under the influence, failure to yield, operating a vehicle with no insurance, expired registration, and expired inspection. The full account is available in the ABC11 news report.
Why Left Turns Kill Motorcyclists
Left-turn collisions are a persistent danger for riders. A driver waiting to turn scans the oncoming lane, misjudges a motorcycle’s speed or fails to see it at all, and turns directly into its path. The rider has a green light, the right of way, and almost no time to react.
North Carolina law is direct on this point. Under N.C. General Statute 20-155, a driver intending to turn left must yield to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction that is close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. A violation of that duty is strong evidence of negligence in a civil claim.
But proving the violation is only part of the work.
Legal Issues These Cases Raise
A crash like this one involves several overlapping problems that a family’s civil claim must address:
- Establishing the at-fault driver’s negligence through police findings, witness accounts, and physical evidence
- Pursuing recovery when the at-fault driver carried no insurance
- Identifying uninsured motorist coverage on the victim’s own policy or a household policy
- Defending against contributory negligence arguments, since North Carolina bars recovery if the injured person shares any fault
- Filing within the statute of limitations, which is generally three years for injury claims and two years for wrongful death
That last pair of issues catches families off guard. North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule is unforgiving, and insurers know it. Even a rider who did everything right can expect the defense to search for some fraction of blame. Every detail gets scrutinized.
A Raleigh failure to yield accident lawyer builds the record early to shut those arguments down before they take hold.
When the Driver Has No Insurance
An uninsured at-fault driver does not end the case. It changes the strategy. Uninsured motorist coverage, which North Carolina requires in auto policies, often becomes the primary source of recovery. Claims against a UM carrier are still adversarial. The insurer stands in the shoes of the uninsured driver and can raise every defense that driver could have raised. Families should not assume their own insurer will treat the claim generously.
Getting Answers After a Right-of-Way Crash
If you lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries because a driver failed to yield, a Raleigh, NC failure to yield accident lawyer can evaluate every available source of compensation, including uninsured motorist benefits.
Burton Law Firm handles right-of-way and intersection crash claims throughout the Raleigh area. We investigate quickly, preserve the evidence that defeats contributory negligence defenses, and deal directly with insurers so families do not have to. Contact our office to speak with a Raleigh failure to yield accident lawyer about your options.