A car accident can cause a lot of headaches for all those involved. It can cause property damage, insurance claims and minor injuries; but, in many cases car accidents are much more serious than this. Fatal car accidents can occur at any time in Washington and turn a family’s world upside down.
Recently, a 41-year-old man was killed in Puyallup, Washington by a reckless and intoxicated driver. According to police, a 64-year-old driver was driving his car toward a busy intersection when he apparently ran a red light around 7:00 p.m. The 41-year-old man was walking in the crosswalk headed to work at the same time. The driver hit the man, then continued on to hit two parked cars. Eventually, the driver drove over a curb and hit a third car. The third car pushed into a fourth car.
Police say that at the time of the accident, the driver was driving recklessly, speeding and they believe he had narcotics in his system. The driver is in police custody.
Unfortunately, the man that the driver hit died on the scene of this fatal car accident. Police are now investigating the accident to try to determine exactly how the deadly crash occurred. Officials say that video surveillance from the busy intersection will be used to get a better picture of the accident.
An investigation following a fatal accident is usually very important for the victim’s family. This investigation can help to determine if negligence played a role in causing the accident. Negligent conduct can include driving under the influence, failing to obey traffic rules or driving while distracted. If the driver that caused the accident engaged in these behaviors before the fatal accident, then that driver could be held responsible through a wrongful death suit.
Unlike a criminal case, a wrongful death suit compensates families for the loss they have suffered as a result of the accident. This compensation cannot ease the pain caused by the tragic loss of life, but it can ensure that families are able to pay for expenses including funeral costs and lost wages.
Source: King 5 News, “Driver in custody after deadly crash in Puyallup,” Heather Graf, April 18, 2014