Police report that an accident involving a single golf car in Wayne County on the morning of Aug. 30 left the front-seat passenger, a 49-year-old man, dead at the scene of the accident. The driver and another passenger were taken to Wooster Community Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident happened when the 42-year-old driver went off the left side of the road and hit an embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn. All three men were ejected from the vehicle.
Police believe that both alcohol and speed contributed to the accident. They charged the driver with OVI, failure to maintain reasonable speed and unsafe speeds for conditions. The driver may be further charged once the results of a blood alcohol test are made available.
When car accidents result in passengers being killed due to the actions of a negligent driver, family members of victims may wish to consult with an attorney in order to file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver. Damages that may be sought include pain and suffering as well as funerary and medical expenses.
In any accident that results in the death of a passenger, it is possible that a driver may be found liable. A driver may be proven negligent if it can be shown that he or she drove while impaired by drugs or alcohol, drove at unsafe speeds, failed to maintain the proper lane or ignored other rules of the road.
Source: FOX8.com, “Man killed in golf car crash“, Leah Fry O’Brien, August 30, 2014