Anytime a death occurs in a collision, toxicology samples are taken from all of the drivers involved to determine whether impairment was a contributing factor. A recent four-car accident on Louisiana Highway 342 was no exception. One man lost his life in the crash, which is still under investigation.
For a reason still not yet known, the 33-year-old driver of a pickup truck apparently failed to stop or slow down for the traffic in front of him. His pickup plowed into the back of a Chevy Corvette. The impact pushed the Corvette, which was driven by a 49-year-old man, into the back of a 37-year-old woman’s Nissan Altima.
Meanwhile, the pickup truck went up onto the Corvette’s roof. It then rolled onto its side and skidded into a Ford Focus occupied by a 17-year-old driver. The only person seriously injured was the driver of the Corvette. As it turns out, the injuries he suffered in the crash were fatal. One other person suffered minor injuries.
As the investigation progresses and the toxicology samples are analyzed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, the family of the victim may exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver of the pickup truck. If a civil court is satisfied by appropriately presented proof that he was negligent and his actions contributed to or caused the death of their loved one, an award of damages may be considered. Any monetary restitution could be used to alleviate the financial burdens that often accompany a deadly car accident.
Source: kplctv.com, “Crowley man killed in four-vehicle crash“, Jordan Tinker, Dec. 17, 2014