When Ohio’s roadways are busy, motor vehicle crashes could easily involve more than two vehicles. The traffic traveling with the vehicles involved may not have the opportunity to avoid becoming part of the wreckage. Under these circumstances, car accidents could easily lead to fatalities.
On a recent Friday night, three vehicles ended up involved in a crash that led to three fatalities on Ohio State Route 117. Preliminary reports indicate that, as it traveled south, the first vehicle crossed the centerline directly into the path of the second vehicle. The two collided first, and then a third vehicle struck the second vehicle. A fourth vehicle managed to avoid the collision.
The 19-year-old driver and 50-year-old passenger in the first vehicle both succumbed to fatal injuries at the scene. The 41-year-old driver of the second vehicle also perished in the impact. The two occupants of the third vehicle, a 28-year-old man and a 33-year-old man both suffered injuries but survived. Emergency medical personnel transported the younger of the two by helicopter while the other man traveled by ambulance.
As those two recover from their injuries and the family of the victim in the second vehicle buries one of its members, the investigation into this crash continues. The victims and their families will probably incur significant financial losses associated with this tragedy, and they may turn to an Ohio civil court for relief. If the evidence supports an award of damages seen in other car accidents, restitution may become available to help offset those monetary losses.