A carjacking that started in Washington, D.C., ended in Virginia with one person dead and two others injured. Police say a 15-year-old boy is responsible for the fatal accident.
The teenager allegedly stole a brown Honda Accord from a D.C., neighborhood at 11:20 p.m., Sept. 20. At 12:45 a.m., a Virginia State Patrol officer saw the speeding Honda being driven erratically on westbound Route 236. The trooper tried to pull the car over, but it sped away, racing through the streets of Fairfax. Police said the driver of the stolen car was speeding an estimated 100 miles per hour. The chase came to an abrupt end when the Accord crashed into another vehicle going through the intersection of Routes 236 and 29. After the crash, the teenaged driver attempted to flee on foot but was soon stopped by the police.
The passenger in the speeding car was killed, and the teenage driver was hospitalized for his injuries. The other driver, a 61-year-old immigrant from Eritrea who works two different jobs to support his family, sustained a broken arm in the accident. Police reported that the 15-year-old driver did not have a license and have charged him with hit-and-run, eluding police and involuntary manslaughter.
An accident like this one does not only affect the individuals involved directly in the crash; the families of the victims are also subject to both emotional and financial stress. The other driver may be eligible for compensation for lost wages and medical expenses because of his injuries, and the family of the deceased passenger may be able to receive compensation for funeral and other expenses by pursuing a wrongful death claim. An attorney with experience in working with the victims who have lost loved ones in fatal accidents may able gather evidence to support the claim.
Source: My FOXDC, “15-year-old charged in fatal Va. crash”, John Henrehan, September 23, 2013