There is little more tragic than a fatal car accident that could have been prevented. Sometimes the driver at fault is driving too fast, sometimes he or she is not paying attention and sometimes he or she may be operating the vehicle under the influence. The latter is what police believe may have caused one of the recent car accidents here in Michigan that claimed a newly-married woman's life and injured two others.
Authorities say that the accident occurred late at night when a young motorist was driving the wrong way on a state highway. His vehicle reportedly struck another car containing three people -- a newly married couple and their son -- head-on. The wife died before she could receive treatment. The husband and his step-son were injured and had to be treated at a nearby hospital, where they both remain.
Police are suspicious that the teen driver was intoxicated and have taken blood tests to determine whether that is the case. At this time, they have not made any charges and will not do so until those test results are available. The families of the victims are understandably devastated -- the couple was in Michigan for their wedding and had plans to visit other family members in the country before settling out of state.
The family of the woman who died may decide to make a civil claim against the young driver here in Michigan; he is 18 years old and can be held responsible for his actions if police determine him to be at fault for the crash. Even if he faces criminal charges, a successfully-litigated civil claim could result in financial compensation for the victim's family that could be used to cover any costs associated with the crash and toward the pain and suffering of those affected. Car accidents involving alcohol should never happen, but if they do, there are ways for families to move forward.
Source: minbcnews.com, Teen driver in wrong-way deadly crash on US-23 may have been drinking, No author, Feb. 10, 2014
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