Pennsylvania residents may share the concern of many others about the number of teenagers that lose their lives in wrecks. Car accidents involving a mix of young drivers, alcohol and high-speed occur all too often. Following a fatal accident only two weeks after graduation in 2012, two young men are now facing charges related to DUI and vehicular homicide.
It was reported that the 18-year-old graduate was the passenger in a friend’s car when was killed in the early morning hours of that June morning. Records of a pretrial hearing show testimony of a paramedic who attended to the accident, stating that the driver told him that they had consumed large amounts of alcohol before driving. He apparently described how he and another friend in a pickup truck had been racing when he failed to negotiate his vehicle around a corner, causing the car to roll over.
The passenger apparently successfully freed himself and proceeded to extricate himself from the car. At that time, the pickup truck allegedly came speeding around the corner, striking — and killing — the young man. It was reported that the blood alcohol levels of both drivers were way above the legal limit for individuals under the age of 18.
Residents of Pennsylvania who have lost loved ones in car accidents that may have been caused — in whole or in part — by the negligence of another party, may pursue recovery of damages incurred. They retain the right to file a wrongful death claim in a civil court. Successfully presented claims may result in a court awarding damages to cover end-of-life and other expenses as allowed by Pennsylvania state laws.
Source: triblive.com, “Separate trials sought in fatal Murrysville DUI“, Rich Cholodofsky, July 31, 2014