Attorney McElwee has a long history of representing clients in North Carolina’s “high country” counties, including Watauga. Having grown up in the area, Mr. McElwee spent many weekends of his youth at his grandparents’ second home off Bamboo Road, right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Later, Mr. McElwee attended nearby Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk for two years before transferring to Wake Forest University.
Watauga County is one of the most scenic and frequently visited counties in all of North Carolina. Whether people come to the area to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, ski, play golf, or attend a football game, the roads leading into Boone have a lot of traffic. And then, of course, Appalachian State University, with an enrollment of almost 20,000 students, brings that many more drivers to the area.
Folks coming to Watauga County from Charlotte and points south often drive up Highway 321, while visitors from the east usually come up Highway 421 through Wilkes County. Both of these roads are heavily trafficked and monitored closely by Highway Patrol and by city police in the town limits. The Deep Gap area in particular, where the speed limit drops to 55, is a place where lots of people get pulled. Closer to the town of Boone, the speed limit drops even more, often to the surprise of unsuspecting visitors who think the open roads leading to town have higher limits.
In our practice, we receive traffic ticket calls from App State students and their parents on a weekly basis. The roads leading into Boone are just that heavily monitored. Fortunately, Boone and the surrounding area is one of the friendliest places you’ll find in the entire State. They watch your speed very closely, but they are also very understanding and forgiving in their dealings with young drivers and out-of-towners.
It all depends on your driving history, of course, but we’ve found most of the judges, prosecutors, and police officers simply want you to “slow down” when passing through.
If you do receive a ticket in Watauga County, we can certainly help. We’ve worked with their district attorney’s office for many years and can usually tell you what to expect. Normally you don’t need to come to court, and we charge a price that is fair.
Call us at 336-995-0060 or email at info@mcelweelawfirm.com.
