Driver’s education courses are no substitute for experience. When Louisiana teenagers first get their driver’s license, they do not yet have the time behind the wheel of a motor vehicle to truly understand what it can do. This is one reason why the odds of a teenager becoming involved in a car accident may be relatively higher than normal.
Recently, a 16-year-old was driving a vehicle. Two passengers were with him. Reportedly, the driver decided to pass another vehicle while driving at speeds above the posted limit. As he attempted to reenter his lane, his vehicle struck the driver’s side of the one it was passing.
This sent the teen’s vehicle into an embankment on the right side of the roadway. The vehicle was then thrust airborne some 100 feet. When it landed, it flipped two times before coming to a rest on the passenger’s side. During the crash, the driver and front seat passenger — a 16-year-old boy — were thrown out of the vehicle. They were not wearing their seat belts.
The passenger died because of the injuries he suffered, and the driver was moderately injured. The backseat passenger was properly restrained and suffered only minor injuries. Reportedly, the three occupants of the other vehicle did not suffer any injuries. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash.
The investigation into this fatal car accident by authorities in Louisiana is ongoing. Regardless of whether any criminal charges are filed in this matter, the family of the deceased passenger retains the right to file a wrongful death claim in connection with the premature death of their loved one. Any monetary award received as the result of a successfully presented claim could help alleviate the financial burdens that often accompany deadly accidents.
Source: nola.com, “Teen, 16, killed, two others injured in Thibodaux crash, state police say“, Jonathan Bullington, Aug. 20, 2014
Source: nola.com, “Teen, 16, killed, two others injured in Thibodaux crash, state police say“, Jonathan Bullington, Aug. 20, 2014