Fatal accident kills Georgia teen, driver faces criminal charges

On Behalf of | May 22, 2014 | Uncategorized |

Car accidents occur virtually every day on Georgia highways and local roadways. Sometimes, they occur off the roadway as well. Unfortunately, some of these incidents result in a fatal accident. This is the case with a recent one-vehicle fatal accident that took the life of a Georgia teenager on a recent Saturday night at nearly 8 p.m.

The 19-year-old teenager was a passenger in a truck that was being driven in a field by what appears to be one of his friends. The driver, said to be 18 years old, apparently lost control of the vehicle. It overturned and pinned the passenger underneath and causing his death.

A 17-year-old was also a passenger in the truck but did not suffer serious injuries. The driver has been charged with first-degree vehicular homicide. He is also facing charges for reckless driving.

It isn’t uncommon for criminal charges to stem from a fatal accident, especially when the driver may have been reckless. It remains to be seen what the result of these criminal proceedings will be, and the victim’s family will surely be interested in the outcome. They are entitled to commence a wrongful death civil claim in a Georgia court, should they choose to do so. The lawsuit would likely be filed against the driver and against anyone else who had an ownership interest in the truck. Should the driver be found guilty of the vehicular homicide and/or reckless driving accusations in criminal court, proof of that may be offered as evidence of financial liability in a related civil action.

Source: accessnorthga.com, “Hoschton teen killed in truck crash“, B.J. Williams, May 15, 2014