North Carolina Jury Awards $1.7M in Unborn Baby’s Death

A jury has awarded a Charlotte, North Carolina couple $1.7 million in a lawsuit against a local restaurant in connection with a head-on collision that killed the couple’s unborn son.

Attorneys for Matt and Meredith Eastridge said 25-year-old David Canter Huffman was speeding in his Volvo on Oct. 29, 2010, when the car crossed the center line and hit Matt Eastridge’s Toyota RAV4.

Police said Huffman died in the crash, as did the Eastridges’ unborn son. Meredith Eastridge was a front-seat passenger and was six months pregnant. The attorneys said Huffman had been drinking at Eddie’s Place, and that his blood alcohol content was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit in North Carolina.

A telephone message left for the attorney representing the restaurant wasn’t immediately returned.