Some Delaware drivers speed periodically. Speeding can be unsafe, but it rises to a much more dangerous level when the driver is being reckless as well. This combination of recklessness and speed causes far too many car accidents here and across the country.
Speeding and recklessness are at least two of the factors that the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit says caused a fatal accident on Thanksgiving Day. At approximately 9:46 a.m., two vehicles were headed northbound on Interstate 95. Reports indicate that the second vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and in an unsafe manner when the driver decided to pass the first vehicle.
As the driver began to move from the right lane to the left lane of the highway, he misjudged the distance and struck the rear driver’s side of the first vehicle. The impact sent both vehicles spinning, but the first vehicle hit a curb, flipped and slid into a light pole. The 60-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 39-year-old driver of the second vehicle survived the crash and was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. He also faces a vehicular homicide charge in connection with the death of the other driver. The investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Thanksgiving will never be the same for the family of the deceased driver. As is the case in other fatal car accidents, they retain the right to file a wrongful death claim against the other driver. The evidence prosecutors intend to use in court, along with any conviction, might be used to establish his negligence in the civil action. A successfully litigated claim could result in an award of damages that could help the family with the unexpected financial burdens placed on them in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Source: firststateupdate.com, “Men Killed In Accident, One Arrested“, Nov. 25, 2016