Driver Fleeing Arrest Leads to Fatal Accident in Haywood County, NC

One man is dead and another injured after their vehicle was struck by a driver attempting to evade police in Haywood County, NC.

Authorities say the crash happened around 9 PM on July 22.  A Haywood County Sheriff’s deputy noticed Dalton Suttles, 20, driving on N.C. 209. After confirming that Suttles had several existing felony warrants, the deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Suttles kept driving and eventually swerved into the oncoming traffic lane, at which point the police did not pursue him any further. Unfortunately, Suttles kept driving in the eastbound lane and struck a car carrying three men — Rafael Mandez, who was driving; Ricardo Mandez, who was in the front passenger seat; and Zenen Lopez-Guzman, who was in the back seat. Unfortunately, Lopez-Guzman, 46, died as a result of his injuries.

Ricardo Mandez was airlifted to an Asheville hospital with serious injuries. Suttles was treated for injuries and released, then charged with a DWI.

In 2019, drunk driving accounted for just under 24% of all traffic fatalities in the state, but only 4% of all crashes. People involved in alcohol-related crashes are about 6 times more likely to die than those involved in non-alcohol-related accidents.

If you know a surviving family member of a person who was injured or killed in an accident, please encourage them to contact our firm immediately. The consultation is completely free, with no out-of-pocket cost to the family to hire us.

For over 25 years the attorneys at Auger & Auger have been dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals and families that have suffered injuries or lost loved ones due to the negligence of others. We have years of experience guiding and helping our clients every step of the way to receive compensation for aspects such as medical bills, funeral costs, and other monetary losses. 

Editorial Note: At A&A we are always looking to improve the quality and safety and are saddened by the outcome of many tragic accidents across the Carolinas. The purpose of this news blog is to write about cases relevant to our industry and raise awareness about injury cases so that victims of similar incidents can educate themselves on theories of liability, the law, and how personal injury cases typically work. This article is created using publicly available information and is a secondary source. If you find any information here to be inaccurate, please notify us at [email protected], and we will make the appropriate adjustments.