We often take our lives in our hands when we hit the streets in Virginia. In some counties and cities, several people die every day due to car accidents and other collisions on the road. Although many of them are accidents that can hardly be avoided, several are due to reckless behavior by drivers.
What makes driving reckless? Failure to pay attention to the road and others on it is the root of this sort of negligent behavior. Drivers may be tuning the radio or paying attention to a cellular phone while behind the wheel. Looking in the wrong direction, as simple as it is, can be the difference between life and death.
An 18-year-old woman is dead after a collision in Rockingham County that allegedly started with an unsafe pass. Virginia State Police believe a truck attempted to overtake the vehicle in which the victim was riding as a passenger at a very high speed. The truck then hit the vehicle, causing both to leave the roadway.
The driver of the vehicle was seriously hurt in the incident, which is still under investigation by local authorities. Criminal charges are still pending the investigation and may be filed if the driver violated the law during the attempted pass.
Regardless of the criminal justice system’s response to a car crash, the victims of motor vehicle accidents and the survivors of those killed in them have the right to seek financial damages. Although this may seem like little comfort after such a loss, an attorney can help resolve a tragedy by securing the future of a victim’s family.