When a family loses a child, the grieving process is different from the loss of an adult relative. A child encompasses the potential of a human life, and when a young person dies, so does all of the hopes and dreams that his or her loved ones held for their future. When that loss is the result of a fatal car accident brought on by the negligence of another party, it can be difficult for family and friends to accept or overcome, and a sense of injustice can permeate the weeks and months that follow.
This may be the scenario for one Colorado family who are dealing with the loss of a 16-year-old boy. Police believe that he teen was involved in a fight on New Year’s Eve, and was running from the scene when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. The driver did not stop to render aid or wait for emergency responder to arrive at the scene.
An 18-year-old woman has been arrested in the matter, and is facing a charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be filed against her. Police say that the woman is related to several people who were involved in the fight. She is currently being held in jail on $100,000 bail.
As this case moves forward, additional details may be made available. For the family of the deceased, they likely feel shock and anger at the prospect that this young woman could walk away from her responsibility in his death with nothing more than a minor charge. There is no word on the nature or severity of the teen’s injuries in the moments immediately following the fatal car accident, but it is possible that the driver could have provided some form of first aid that could have altered the outcome. Should they decide to move forward with a Colorado wrongful death suit against her, proving negligence may be relatively straightforward after she struck a human being and then apparently decided to simply drive away.
Source: krqe.com, “$100K bail set for woman charged in fatal hit-run,” Jan. 5, 2013