Unfortunately, anyone’s life can end in a split second, and sometimes all it takes is one person who has made inappropriate choices before driving or uses poor judgment while behind the wheel to cause a tragedy. When such an event happens, the person responsible may initially panic and try to escape from the horrific situation, and this is usually how hit-and-run accidents happen. In a recent example, a Washington resident suffered fatal personal injury when the vehicle in which he was riding was hit by another vehicle. The driver who appears to be responsible has been arrested for several criminal offenses.
The fatal accident happened on a Saturday evening on Old Highway 99 in Olympia. The Washington State Patrol said the victim’s car was traveling north on the highway when the other vehicle, also northbound, crashed into it. Both occupants of the car that was hit suffered injuries. Sadly, the 54-year-old male passenger died at the crash site, while the 51-year-old woman driving the car was taken to a local hospital.
Reportedly, the 37-year-old man that seems to have caused the crash attempted to flee the scene. However, he has since been arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide as well as suspicion of vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run. Police have also stated they suspect the man had been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.
Every Washington resident who gets into a motorized vehicle knows that a car accident can happen to anyone at anytime, even to people who do whatever they can to control their environment. In this case, sadly, a man has lost his life and a woman has suffered injury because of a crash in which impaired driving is suspected and the driver tried to run away. The victims and their families may consider contacting an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss the option of pursuing a civil lawsuit. While this action cannot erase past events, a successful lawsuit could help these victims recoup some of the unexpected costs that tend to follow such a tragedy.