Any parent of a teenager knows the fears and worries that surround teen driving and the risk of auto accidents. Inexperience, lack of confidence, and immature decision-making skills all add to the risk that a teenage driver will be involved in a car accident. For the family of one Colorado teen, none of those factors contributed to the car accident that led to his death. It was someone else’s negligence that caused the accident.
Just before 5 p.m. on a recent Friday evening, two 14-year-old boys were walking along a Lakewood, Colorado, sidewalk when a vehicle left the roadway and struck both of them. One of the boys died at the scene. The second boy was taken to nearby hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released.
The driver of the Kia Spectra that struck the boys now faces charges of vehicular homicide and careless driving. In a statement released by the police department, investigators are said to believe that prescription medications may have played a part in the crash. If she knew that the medicine could impair her judgment, she should have known not to get behind the wheel.
At this time, it is not clear how the driver will respond to the charges against her, or whether she will attempt to suggest that her prescription medications were a causal factor in the car accident. Even if the medication was a factor, she should have known better. Someone cannot cause a drunk driving accident and then blame it only on the alcohol and not their own poor judgment.
Source: thedenverchannel.com, “Teen Killed When Woman’s Car Runs Off Road,” Thomas Hendrick, June 30, 2012