Dashcam video caught a car slicing through traffic on Interstate 485 near the Pineville exit in south Charlotte, then slamming into a woman’s SUV and taking off, according to the driver who was hit. Jessie Haynes and her 11-year-old daughter, Eliana, were in the SUV when another vehicle sideswiped them and pushed them into the express lane. Haynes says she filed a police report, but the driver has not been found.
Dashcam Caught The Moment
Haynes described the other driver as a “pendulum,” bobbing and weaving through traffic just before impact. She told reporters she believes the car was going at least 90 miles per hour when it struck her SUV and shoved it into the express lane. The crash was recorded by a driver traveling behind them, and Haynes said she thinks the vehicle was an older-model Infiniti G35, as reported by WCCB Charlotte.
What The Law Requires
North Carolina law requires any driver involved in a crash to stop, stay at the scene, and exchange information. Leaving without doing so when someone is injured can be charged as a felony under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-166, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
I-485 Safety Concerns
Interstate 485 has been under the microscope after a string of high-profile crashes in recent years, with troopers rolling out targeted patrols to cut down on speed-related wrecks. Officials and residents have said that more visible patrols can help discourage reckless driving, according to a previous enforcement campaign covered by WSOC.
What Comes Next
Haynes says she is counting on the dashcam footage to help troopers track down the vehicle and hold the driver accountable. As WCCB Charlotte reported, highway patrol had not provided an update to the station at the time of its story.
