Being a responsible driver requires being alert at all times and paying attention to one’s surroundings. It also requires a Colorado motorist to obey all of the traffic signals and posted speed limits. If a driver chooses not to drive in accordance with the rules of the road, it is possible that a car accident can happen. In some cases, the accident may be fatal.
During the early evening hours, a driver was speeding when he hit a young boy who was crossing the street. He did not stop and get out of his vehicle to check on the child. The driver instead continued to drive, dragging the boy down the street, abandoning the scene. The boy passed away at the site of the accident.
Investigators located a portion of the bumper and the license plate from the vehicle that allegedly hit the boy. Authorities were then able to locate the driver at his home and arrest him. According to a report issued by the Denver Police, the driver made no attempt to avoid the child. He was driving at approximately 60 mph at the time of the accident.
The driver is now being formally charged with abandoning the scene of an accident and vehicular homicide. This was not the first time that the driver had been charged with driving recklessly. Only months prior, he was cited and sent to complete a Colorado defensive driving school course.
A driver who obeys the posted speed limits and is cautious can seek to avoid a fatal car accident like this one. Surviving family members to the deceased can hope to find a sense of justice by filing a wrongful death claim against the driver if it is found that negligence contributed to the person’s death. While nothing can bring back a lost loved one, monetary compensation may be awarded to help the grieving family with end-of-life expenses and medical bills as a result.
Source: thedenverchannel.com, Oswaldo Lopez charged in Denver hit-and-run crash that killed 11-year-old boy, No author, Feb. 20, 2014