No one ever plans to be in a car accident, this much is certain. However, whenever an individual causes a car accident that results in catastrophic injuries, he or she must remain at the accident scene to face the police, take responsibility, and answer questions regarding the incident. When someone flees the scene, it hinders the legal process, and it is also against the law. Especially in the case of a hit-and-run, legal claims for those who were injured (or the family of anyone killed) by the driver’s actions may have a stronger case because that person fled.
On Thursday, Nov. 26, a horrific and fatal New Mexico car accident occurred. The accident resulted in an 18-year-old woman suffering catastrophic injuries and death. It also resulted in the 19-year-old man, who was driving the car, allegedly running away and abandoning the young woman to die of her injuries without help.
At this time, police have issued a warrant for the man’s arrest. According to police, the man was speeding when he attempted to pass another vehicle via a lane designated for turning. Police say that the man then saw a concrete divider and swerved into traffic to miss it. He collided with another car. His vehicle went out of control, which ultimately resulted in the accident and catastrophic injuries to his passenger.
Other accidents occurred along the same New Mexico roadway that night, but this one was the most extreme because of the young woman’s catastrophic injuries that resulted in her death. The victim’s family has the right to seek financial compensation for the death of their loved one by pursuing a wrongful death claim against the driver. Material compensation for the loss of a family member will never be enough to compensate for the pain and emotions experienced by those left behind, but a successful claim can be a way to obtain some sense of closure relating to the incident.
Source: krqe.com, Driver in high-speed fatal crash arrested, Bill Diven and Gabrielle Burkhart, Nov. 29, 2013
