When it comes to traveling, many Ohio residents place their trust and their lives in the hands of drivers. They expect to reach their destinations safely and without incident. Sadly, far too many passengers pay the price for drivers’ mistakes in vehicle accidents.
For example, three people died in a recent crash that took place on U.S. Highway 33 here in Ohio. Preliminary reports from the Ohio State Highway Patrol indicate that a vehicle driven by an 80-year-old man was headed westbound on the highway. At the same time, an 18-wheeler was headed toward it from the opposite direction.
For some unknown reason, the westbound vehicle drifted over the center line into the oncoming lane of travel, directly into the path of the big rig. The driver of the tractor-trailer was unable to avoid colliding head on with the smaller passenger vehicle. All three passengers in the vehicle suffered fatal injuries in the impact. The driver suffered substantial injuries for which he was transported to an area hospital. The 35-year-old driver of the 18-wheeler was fortunate enough to only suffer minor injuries.
It is not known at this time whether the surviving driver of the passenger vehicle will face any criminal charges in connection with the crash. Surviving family members of two of the passengers may exercise the right to file wrongful death claims in connection with the deaths of their loved ones as others who have lost family members in vehicle accidents have done. The third passenger who died appears to be related to the driver, and while family members may file civil claims against one another, those claims are often handled through insurance.
Source: wsaz.com, “3 dead, 2 hurt in crash on U.S. 33 in Meigs County; names released“, May 17, 2018
