A person is dead following a tragic crash in Colorado Springs. Colorado police responded to the accident on Jan. 30. They have not filed charges against the driver involved in the crash, which was the fifth fatality in all the recorded car accidents in Colorado Springs so far this year.
According to the police report, an 89-year-old man was attempting to turn southbound onto Highway 115 when the accident occurred. A cyclist, who has not been publicly identified by police at this time, was crossing the intersection with a green light when he or she was hit. The cyclist was pronounced dead of injuries suffered in the impact.
Police do not believe the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor was he speeding at the time of the crash. However, their investigation is still underway as of this report. Further details could yet lead to criminal charges against the driver, though there has been no indication that will occur.
Even if no criminal charges are filed, Colorado law allows the victims of car accidents or, when fatalities result, their surviving families, to file civil suits against the party or parties believed responsible. A wrongful death lawsuit, like the one that might be filed in this instance by the family of the deceased cyclist, would be handled in civil court separate from any criminal charges that might yet be filed. Evidence of the driver’s negligence regarding the accident is necessary for the court to consider an award of monetary damages to the family.
Source: koaa.com, “Cyclist dies after crash on January 17th – KOAA.com“, Nia Bender, Jan. 31, 2018