A former UNCW student who was falsely charged with DWI in a tragic incident on Interstate 40 in Duplin County is suing the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Raylee Grieco collided with an automobile that had stopped in the center of the road, behind a pickup truck and a trailer. Mildo Velasquez was killed in the incident while attempting to reattach the trailer to his pickup truck, according to investigators.
Grieco sustained multiple injuries, including a concussion, and a trooper administered a portable breath test, which found no alcohol presence.
A nurse practitioner at the hospital judged that she was not impaired and that no blood test for intoxicating substances was required.
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A state trooper investigating the crash called in a Drug Recognition Expert and administered a field sobriety test; Grieco was suspected of being under the influence of THC at the time of the accident.
The blood test results ultimately revealed no impairing substances, so the DWI and Underage DWI charges were dismissed.
The lawsuit accuses the NC Highway Patrol of making false allegations and failing to perform an investigation properly. Grieco is seeking monetary compensation, punitive damages, and a public apology.
Reference: Woman wrongfully charged with DWI in fatal Duplin County crash sues N.C. Highway Patrol