When a wrong-way accident results in the death of a passenger and leads to injuries for others, the driver may face a host of criminal charges and possible civil liability. A recent car accident on a New York highway is garnering attention as the driver was a police officer from New Jersey. The accident took the life of another officer and another passenger.
The accident occurred as the police officer, who was driving, headed the wrong way down the expressway. He hit a tractor-trailer head-on. The officer was reported to have a blood alcohol content of 0.18 percent, which is above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. The officer had purported posted photos of shot glasses filled with alcohol to Instagram just hours before the deadly accident.
Two of the passengers in the vehicle were killed in the crash. Another passenger was critically injured. The driver was arrested and has been indicted with a number of charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide. He also has two other drunk driving arrests in the past.
While the criminal case against the man is handled, the family of the two victims who died, as well as the injured passenger, may want to be aware of what civil action may be taken in a New York civil court. Victims of another person’s recklessness or illegal driving decisions may pursue personal injury claims or wrongful death claims against that individual. If successful, those parties may have the support needed to deal with medical bills, funeral costs or other expenses related to being the victim of a car accident.
Source: ABC News, “New Jersey Officer Charged in New York Crash That Killed 2”, Jake Pearson, Sept. 21, 2015