One of the worst things any person could ever have to endure is the sudden and unexpected death of a loved one. Unfortunately, each year, thousands of people are forced to grieve the loss of a family member caused by one common incident: car accidents.
Car accidents, however, do not happen on their own. Most often they are the result of negligent driving such as texting while driving, drunk driving or speeding. Sadly, the lives of two young people were claimed earlier this week when an alleged drunk driver crashed their vehicle near Newbury Park.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a 23-year-old was driving himself and three passengers down Potrero Road Monday night when he lost control of his vehicle and drove off the road. The vehicle crashed into nearby construction equipment. The fatal car accident killed two of the passengers, a 23-year-old woman from Thousand Oaks and a 26-year-old man from Newbury Park.
Police suspect that the driver of the vehicle was both speeding and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the late-night crash. According to a California Highway Patrol spokesperson, police plan to arrest the driver and charge him with drunk driving. He could also end up facing felony charges because of the passengers’ deaths.
Although police are holding this driver accountable through criminal charges, some families feel that more should be done. The life of a loved one can never be given a monetary value, but families who were forced into grieving by a negligent driver deserve to be compensated. By filing a wrongful death claim, many families are able to obtain this compensation while holding a driver further accountable for his or her grave actions.
Source: Thousand Oaks Acorn, “Late-night wreck takes two young lives,” Darleen Principe, Sept. 11, 2013
