An elderly couple was killed in a motor vehicle accident on July 22 in Clearcreek Township. According to a report from a local news source published on August 12, Ohio Highway Patrol says the driver who initiated the fatal crash has no recollection of the event.
A video recovered from a homeowner living close to the location of the crash shows the 45-year-old woman’s Hyundai Elantra traveling south on Township Line Road before entering the road’s intersection with Ohio 73 without stopping at the posted stop sign. As the Hyundai attempted to make the left turn onto Ohio 73, it collided with an eastbound lumber truck. That first collision resulted in a second that killed the an Indiana couple. Both victims were 66.
No charges had been filed against the driver of the Elantra as of August 12. However, a public records request filed by the news source led to the discovery that charges were pending a review of the case by prosecutors.
Fatal car accidents can cause victims’ families both emotional and financial grief. The loss of a family member may mean losing economic support and incurring the added burdens of medical bills and funeral expenses. The surviving family members of someone who was killed in a car crash due to the misconduct or oversight of another party may choose to bring a civil suit against that party. Damages awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit are meant to account for the financial harm caused to plaintiff. Video evidence that points toward a defendant having acted negligently in the accident in question can greatly strengthen a plaintiff’s case.
Source: WHIO, “Driver: ‘No direct memory’ of Clearcreek Twp. crash”, Lawrence Budd, August 12, 2014