When getting behind the wheel of a car, drivers assume a responsibility for others on the road, as well as any passengers in their vehicle. When poor choices are made, accidents can occur that have irrevocable consequences. Police believe this scenario played out in an accident in Georgia. Alcohol is suspected to have played a significant role in a fatal accident that took the life of a teenager and injured two others.
The driver suspected of causing the accident has since been arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. Police believe the driver failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a car that was carrying two teenage girls. The impact of the crash caused fatal injuries to one of the teenagers and seriously injured the other. The suspect drunk driver had a 19-year-old passenger in his vehicle who also sustained serious injuries.
A witness who heard the collision ran inside his house and told his parents to call 911. He and another friend broke off the two back doors of the vehicle to try to get the victims out of the car. His father also later tried to assist but it was too late to save one of the girls.
There is no way to understand the grief the family must be feeling right now. The driver is facing criminal charges for his role in this fatal accident, but sometimes even criminal punishment is not enough to help the family deal with their loss. While accidents in Georgia can and do happen, when they are caused by someone making the choice to drink and drive, it makes the result of the accident even more tragic because it could have been prevented. In these cases, the victim’s family may have the legal right to seek further action against this driver. While nothing can bring their family member back, it could help serve as additional support in their time of grief.
Source: WSB-TV News, “Teenage girl killed in crash with suspected drunken driver,” July 6, 2012
