When people think of a car accident that involves alcohol, one car hitting another is what typically springs to mind. Many forget that even in the absence of an actual collision, if a passenger in a vehicle is hurt or killed and the driver was intoxicated, the charges and potential consequences will likely be similar. This type of drunk driving accident was demonstrated in the recent case of a young Indiana mother who lost her life in a frightening incident while riding in a minivan allegedly driven by an intoxicated driver.
The accident occurred late at night after friends of the woman say she was riding in her own minivan, being driven by a male friend. She leaned out the window of the vehicle to be sick, and her head struck a wire on a utility pole, killing her. Authorities say that the man driving her vehicle left the accident site, and that when he was apprehended, he denied involvement. Police say that when they finally conducted a Breathalyzer, his blood alcohol level was measured to be double the legal limit.
Police have charged him with driving while intoxicated resulting in death of another person, leaving the scene of an accident and several other charges. The woman’s friends and family are now mourning her as they try to cope with their loss. They are attempting to find a way to fund the cost of her funeral.
Though this wasn’t the more-common type of drunk driving accident, the woman’s family has similar choices to seek to hold the driver responsible, no matter the outcome of criminal proceedings. A civil claim could be brought against him that may result in financial compensation. This could help her family cover the funeral costs mentioned earlier, in addition to any other financial damages that may have resulted from this accident. Others here in Indiana who find themselves in a similar situation deserve to know all of their options.
Source: abc30.com, “Mom vomits out of moving car’s window, hits her head and dies”, , June 18, 2014