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Another Teen dies in Auto Accident
Within hours one of them was dead and another still in critical condition. Benjamin Tyler Ledford, 18, a Murphy High School senior, was driving a bright red 2003 Chevy Cavalier heading south on Old Murphy Road (State Road 1304) past Mt. Liberty Baptist Church. His date, Nora Leilani Starks, 17, also a senior at MHS, was riding in the passenger side. When the car came over a small hill, Ledford lost control of the car which slid off the right shoulder of the road where there was a foot or more drop off. The car swirled and its left rear slammed into a tree with a tremendous impact, crumpling it like a hammer hitting a tin can. Both teens were pinned inside the vehicle and had to be extracted. Starks was flown out by helicopter to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, where she was pronounced dead while in surgery Sunday morning. Ledford was transported by Cherokee County EMS to Murphy Medical Center and was later transferred to Erlanger Hospital by helicopter. On Monday, Ledford's parents said that their son was in stable condition, awaiting further tests to see when he would be able to come home.
Almost half the drivers charged with speeding last year were younger than 30. For that age group, the leading cause of death is vehicle crashes, according to the State Center for Health Statistics. Speed is dangerous for three reasons: it leaves a driver less time to react. It slows stop reaction time and emphasizes the impact of the crash. A crash at 80 mph is four times as bad as one at 40 mph. Leilani Stark is the daughter of Lonnie and Janet Starks. She was a member of World Changers and of Little Brasstown Baptist Church. She was also involved in many other community service projects. She took part in a recent fundraiser for St. Judes Children's Hospital. Her 18th birthday was less than a month away. At church service at Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Andrews, everyone expressed grief, saying both seniors and their families will be kept in their prayers. A memorial service was scheduled to be held Tuesday at Little Brasstown Baptist Church.
Speed related accidents kill about 10 people a week in North Carolina, according to the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. This is far more than those killed by alcohol related accidents.
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