Law enforcement authorities reported a Mentor man lost his life due to injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident in Chardon Township. The accident reportedly occurred on Dec. 1 around 9:00 a.m.
The 35-year-old Mentor man was driving a 1992 Honda Civic south on Route 44 near Hosford Road at the time of the collision. A 30-year-old Painesville man allegedly attempted to pass another vehicle while driving north in a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. When the Painesville man pulled into the southbound lane, he reportedly struck the Honda head-on.
The 35-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by emergency personnel. Upon being transported to Lake Health’s TriPoint Medical Center, the 30-year-old was treated and released for minor injuries he suffered. While there, toxicology tests were performed. Following his release from the hospital, law enforcement officers placed the 30-year-old under arrest. He is currently in custody at the Geuaga County Jail and is facing charges of driving under suspension, vehicular manslaughter, vehicular homicide and improper passing. Authorities indicated that alcohol is not suspected to be a contributing cause to the crash.
Many people are seriously injured or killed as a result of motor vehicle accidents every year. When a person is wrongfully killed in such a collision, his or her family is often left with significant financial losses, which compound upon the grief and pain they may be suffering as a result of their loved one’s loss. Even in cases in which the other driver is not criminally charged, he or she may still face civil liability for his or her negligence in causing the collision and resulting death. By filing a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the negligent driver, the family of a person who is killed may be able to recover compensation for the losses they have suffered.
Source: WKYC, “Mentor man killed in Geauga County crash”, December 01, 2014