A child who died after being ejected from a car on a recent Wednesday morning was identified by the Northampton County coroner. The Pennsylvania State Police said the serious car accident that claimed the life of the 5-year-old boy occurred on a recent Wednesday morning. The boy was one of three people from a neighboring state that traveled as passengers in the car that crashed.
An accident report indicates that the accident occurred on Interstate 78 when a driver lost control of the car she was driving. After running off the eastbound lanes, she overcorrected and then traveled across both the traffic lanes before crashing into the guardrail. Her vehicle landed in the way of oncoming traffic, and another car and a minivan smashed into it.
The boy’s 2-year-old sister, who sat next to him in the rear seat, also suffered severe injuries, and she is reportedly on life support at a hospital in Allentown. Police say both the children and a 31-year-old adult passenger were ejected from the car. The adult also suffered injuries of unreported severity, and the driver was reported to be in a critical condition. After the crash, state police said they found open alcohol containers in the car.
The parents or guardians of the children and the injured passenger may pursue financial relief through the Pennsylvania civil justice system. Personal injury and wrongful death claims may be filed after any serious car accident. Plaintiffs will have to prove that another person’s negligence caused or contributed to any fatalities or injuries suffered. Once the court has established financial liability, all documented claims for economic losses and emotional damages will be adjudicated. Entry of monetary judgments may then follow.
Source: wfmz.com, “Coroner IDs 5-year-old boy killed in crash on Interstate 78”, Jamie Stover, Sept. 14, 2016