Driver Nabbed For Fatal High-Rise Wreck
Posted in Car Accidents,Our Blog on December 6, 2013
A hit-and-run driver sent a woman and her 2-year-old nephew flying off an Interstate 10 bridge in New Orleans East in late November. The driver is reportedly now in custody after officers apprehended him on Nov. 30. The incident, just one of scores of fatal car accidents in the metro area during this ongoing holiday season, left both the 29-year-old victim and her young nephew dead. The 44-year-old driver is facing two counts of manslaughter in addition to a felony count of hit-and-run.
This is not the driver’s first run-in with the law. The man has previously been arrested for arson and driving on a suspended driver’s license, among other offenses. He was apprehended at his father’s home, and he admitted shortly after his arrest that he caused the fatal accident. The man’s pickup truck was found abandoned at the scene after the wreck. He admitted to panicking after the crash, but he never thought he hit anyone.
Authorities report that the woman and her other family members had exited their vehicle after it started experiencing mechanical problems during the early morning hours of Nov. 24. Although the family safely exited the vehicle, they were soon subjected to a horrific collision. The older woman was killed at the scene after she was sent flying over the side of the high-rise bridge. Her nephew was transported to hospital facilities, but he died shortly after the wreck. Officials report that the woman’s sister was also in the vehicle, along with one other child. The sister suffered a broken leg in the crash.
Even if the Louisiana driver in this case is not convicted on criminal charges, he may be subject to civil penalties. Victims in such crashes can seek financial compensation for wrongful death, pain and suffering, medical and burial costs and a slew of other civil claims. Accident victims do not have to suffer in silence after such a devastating wreck; personal injury attorneys can help them get the money they need and deserve.
Source: theadvocate.com, “Police make arrest in deadly high-rise bridge accident Nov. 24” Dan Lawton, Dec. 04, 2013