A Seattle man was recently charged in connection with a motor vehicle accident that killed two people. He will now face two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of reckless endangerment and one count of vehicular assault in the aftermath of the fatal car accident.
The incident happened in mid-November on Lake City Way. The 43-year-old man had run a red light in his Ford Explorer, with his young daughter and her friend inside the car, before he struck a Hyundai. Both vehicles traveled about 100 yards before the Hyundai burst into flames. A couple, a 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, inside the Hyundai were killed in the accident.
According to a news report, the Ford was driving between 70 and 90 mph. To make matters worse, this is not the first fatal accident that this driver has been involved in. In 2009, he pleaded guilty in a case where he struck a vehicle driven by a 65-year-old woman, who was killed in the accident. He was given a one-year suspended sentence and probation in that case after doctors said he suffered an undiagnosed psychotic episode during the crash.
In light of that episode, prosecutors are now saying that the man knew the dangers his mental health condition posed on the road before the November crash, and that he was not taking his medication.
As the Seattle man awaits his trial, the families of the two deceased victims may consider the possibility of a wrongful death suit. Such a suit may allow them to receive compensation not only for their funeral expenses but also for their emotional pain and suffering as they endure this difficult time.
Source: The Seattle Times, “Driver charged in Lake City crash that killed 2” Jennifer Sullivan, Dec. 6, 2011