Some drivers on the road act recklessly and take unnecessary risks, putting the lives of themselves and everyone on the road in jeopardy. Many Georgia residents have most likely seen these drivers and witnessed everything from passing on a blind turn, excessive speeding or perhaps even zigzagging through heavy traffic. Any of these acts could potentially cause serious injury, if not a fatal accident.
A recent crash involving two vehicles occurred in Effingham County sometime around 3 p.m. on a Friday early in June. According to the local Sheriff’s department, a 38-year-old man was driving his Jeep on Ga. 17 when the accident took place. For reasons yet to be identified, the driver veered across the center median and into oncoming traffic.
Unfortunately, a 22-year-old woman was driving with her 4-year-old son in the now wrong-way driver’s path. The two vehicles slammed into each other head-on. The mother and her son were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Sadly, despite the hospital staff’s best efforts, the young boy succumbed to his injuries; his mother’s current condition is not known. The alleged wrong way driver was also hospitalized and is still listed in critical condition.
The Effingham Sheriff’s Department, with the help of the Georgia State Patrol’s collision team, will continue their investigation into this fatal accident. Authorities report that a phone call was made by a driver of a vehicle that was behind the Jeep, alerting authorities to his apparent reckless behavior. Reportedly, the driver had alcohol in his Jeep, which may have been a contributing factor in this crash. Moreover, authorities say that the man was found to be driving with a suspended driver’s license and was wanted by authorities for a probation violation.
As the mother of the little boy killed in this crash recovers from her physical injuries, she must also come to terms with the loss of her son. She retains the right to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of her son and a personal injury claim on her own behalf against the Jeep driver. A successfully litigated claim will not bring her boy back to her, but it can help her with the inevitable financial burdens associated with this fatal accident.
Source: savannahnow.com, “UPDATE: Driver in fatal Effingham crash had no license”, DeAnn Komanecky, June 7, 2014
