Under the best of circumstances driving Georgia’s Interstates can have its dangers. When a driver gets behind the wheel after drinking, it only increases the hazards to others on the road. The possibility of a fatal accident occurring when a drunk driver is behind the wheel of a motor vehicle escalates exponentially.
Authorities suspect that a 50-year-old man — who is not from Georgia — was impaired as he drove south on Interstate 75 at around 9 p.m. on a recent Thursday. Ahead of him on the highway were a husband and wife who could not have known what was going to happen next. As his vehicle approached the couple’s vehicle, it slammed into the back of it.
The Georgia State Police report that the impact pushed the unsuspecting couple’s vehicle off the Interstate, where it careened down an embankment. When emergency responders arrived at the scene and examined the couple, it was determined that they both succumbed to the injuries received in the crash. It was not reported whether the driver of the other vehicle suffered any injuries.
Troopers on the scene took him into custody after making a preliminary determination that he was intoxicated. The investigation is ongoing. Once it is complete, multiple charges may be filed against him.
In the meantime, the families of this couple are forced to prematurely bury them. They may also exercise their rights to file wrongful death claims seeking a monetary judgment for the financial losses incurred as a result of this tragic fatal accident. Successfully proving negligence on the part of the surviving driver could result in an award of damages that could help relieve the financial burdens that these kinds of tragedies typically engender.
Source: columbiadailyherald.com, “Columbia Central grad dies in Georgia car accident”, Nov. 1, 2014
