The faster a vehicle travels, the higher the probability is that the driver will be unable to control it should something go wrong. For instance, if a driver is speeding and strays onto the shoulder of the road, the risk of over-correcting and losing control of the vehicle increases. This is believed to be what happened in a fatal accident in the early morning hours of March 6 that occurred on Louisiana Highway 42.
Two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions on the highway that morning. Louisiana State Police officers believe the westbound driver was speeding when he ran off the right shoulder. He attempted to get back onto the road, over-corrected and ended up in the path of an eastbound vehicle.
The vehicles collided head-on. The driver of the eastbound vehicle suffered fatal injuries despite being properly restrained at impact. The driver of the westbound vehicle was reported to have suffered injuries described as moderate. His current condition is unknown.
Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors in this crash, but in accordance with procedure, the results of toxicology samples are pending. The driver believed to have caused the accident was charged with careless driving and negligent homicide. He was also cited for not wearing his seat belt.
As the criminal case proceeds, the family of the 56-year-old woman lost in this fatal accident retains the right to file a wrongful death claim against the surviving driver. If negligence can be proven, the court may consider an award of damages outlined in our state laws. A successful civil action will never change the fact that the accident occurred, but it may help the family deal with the financial impact it caused.
Source: donaldsonvillechief.com, Port Vincent Man Charged with Negligent Homicide in Ascension Parish Fatal Crash, No author, March 6, 2014