Police say that they took a 41-year-old man into custody after a traffic stop in West Virginia. They believe that he was responsible for a fatal crash that took place at U.S. Route 35 at Township Road 213 in Jackson County at about 5:30 a.m. on March 12. According to authorities, the man’s semi collided with a truck driven by a 21-year-old man after running a stop sign.
The victim’s truck collided with the semi’s trailer and crashed into a median, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the driver of the semi who caused the crash fled the scene. After being taken into custody, he waived his extradition rights to be brought back to Ohio to face charges of negligent homicide and failure to stop after a fatal accident.
On March 13, he was brought back to Ohio and is being held in Jackson County Correctional Facility. He was to be arraigned on the charges either that day or on March 16. The Ohio Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident, and there was no information as to whether road conditions, weather conditions or driver impairment played a role in the crash.
When car accidents lead to the death of someone involved in that accident, his or her family may file a wrongful death lawsuit. A personal injury attorney may be able to help the family pursue such a case in court against the driver who caused the accident. The victim’s family may be entitled to compensation for the deceased’s final expenses, punitive damages as well as lost future earnings due to wrongful death. These damages may be awarded via an out of court settlement or determined by a jury after a trial.
Source: WSAZ, “Update: Driver Charged in Deadly Accident Extradited Back to Ohio,” March 13, 2015