Passing vehicles is something that should only be done when the conditions on the road are safe for this to happen. There are some areas where passing other vehicles is strictly forbidden. These no passing zones are in place for a very important reason — to keep people safe while they are traveling.
On March 7, 2017, an 18-year-old driver decided to pass a dump truck. The issue is that the vehicles were in a no-passing zone. The teen driver hit another vehicle head-on while trying to pass the dump truck.
That teen is now facing criminal charges because the accident was a fatal accident that also caused injuries to innocent people. A 24-year-old woman died and two other occupants of the vehicle that was hit were taken to a hospital.
All of the occupants of the vehicle that the teen hit were wearing seat belts. The accident report noted that the teen was driving over the speed limit at the time of the crash, but that drugs and alcohol weren’t factors in the accident.
Even though the teen is facing criminal charges, the damage to the family who lost a loved one and the other innocent victims can’t be denied. This was a senseless event that could have been prevented by obeying the no-passing zone and driving within the speed limit.
People who lose a loved one in an accident might decide that they are going to seek compensation. This is a way to recover financial losses and can also hold the liable driver accountable. This action can be taken regardless of whether criminal charges are levied or not.
Source: The Newnan Times Herald, “Coweta teen charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving,” Clay Neely, Oct. 13, 2017