Driving can be hazardous enough during the daylight hours, but the chances of an accident increase at night. It is easier for car accidents to happen when it is dark for many reasons. The most obvious is that drivers are not able to easily view all that may be going on around them. Streetlights and headlights are helpful though they do not allow drivers to see everything. For instance, one of the most recent car accidents on Colorado roads might have been avoided had it not been so dark.
A report from the Colorado State Patrol office stated the driver of a pickup truck was headed east on Highway 14 at approximately 11:45 p.m. He was in the right lane of the four-lane highway when he hit a man who was running toward him in or near the lane in which he was driving. Emergency personnel found the pedestrian dead upon their arrival.
There were no injuries to the 35-year-old driver of the pickup truck, and he waited at the scene until police arrived. Troopers indicated alcohol did play a part in the accident, but the media report did not specify which of the two men may have been intoxicated. There was no word on any pending charges against the driver.
If the death appears to have been caused by negligence on the part of the truck driver, the family of the deceased pedestrian can file a wrongful death lawsuit against him. These types of lawsuits are relatively common after fatal car accidents. The family seeks compensation that will allow them to meet financial requirements associated with hospitalization and death, if awarded. Colorado residents who are facing life without a loved one due to the negligence of another will want to speak to a professional who will work to help them pursue full accountability in civil court.
Source: kdvr.com, “Pedestrian killed after being struck by pickup truck in Fort Collins“, Chuck Hickey, Oct. 26, 2016