It can be disconcerting for Missouri residents to see an accident in which a vehicle has flipped. This is, in part, because in some rollover accidents, the occupants are ejected. Between the wreckage and the injured parties, passersby sometimes get to see more devastation then they ever wanted to see.
The wreckage of a one-vehicle crash that occurred on a recent Friday night must not have been a pleasant sight for whoever came upon it. Police report that the 21-year-old driver of a pickup truck lost control of his vehicle on a curve as it headed eastbound on Route UU. The pickup then left the roadway and flipped.
The driver and his 16-year-old passenger were both thrown clear of the vehicle during the wreck. Both of them were severely injured. Emergency medical personnel took them to the hospital for treatment. The driver’s last known condition was listed as serious, but the teenage boy ultimately succumbed to his injuries at approximately 11:30 p.m. the next day (Saturday). At this time, it is not known whether police are contemplating filing charges against the driver.
Before that determination can be made, police will need to complete their investigation and turn over their results to prosecutors. Regardless, the family of the deceased passenger may exercise its right to file a wrongful death claim against the driver. Establishing his negligence will be required by a Missouri court before it will award damages to the family. Damages such as funeral and burial expenses, pain and suffering and others seen in rollover accidents may be requested.
Source: ksdk.com, “16-year-old killed in Pike County car crash”, Sam Clancy, Aug. 29, 2015
