One teenager is tragically dead following a single-vehicle crash local authorities believe may have been predicated on intoxication. The Colorado State Patrol reported the car accident that claimed the life of a 16-year-old high school student. Several other students were injured in the crash, and the 18-year-old driver is currently in custody. As is typical with most fatal car accidents, this incident is still being investigated.
According to the report, it appears that around 11:45 p.m. on the night of May 3, the driver was transporting four other teenagers in his vehicle on Garfield County Road 102. It appears the driver lost control while trying to negotiate a right curve in the road, striking a large rock and forcing the car to flip over. Two passengers were ejected from the vehicle, one of whom was the 16-year-old who was killed on impact.
The other ejected passenger suffered serious injury and was rushed to a local hospital. The other three occupants, including the driver, escaped with only minor injuries. The driver is believed to have been intoxicated behind the wheel, a possibility which is still being investigated. Police say he is likely to face charges including vehicular assault and vehicular homicide.
Fatal car accidents are always tragic, but this is especially so when an innocent passenger loses his life due to the poor decisions of the driver. This is why Colorado will allow the family of the deceased to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and anyone with an ownership interest in the vehicle. Civil in nature, a suit of this type must be supported by evidence of the driver’s material contribution to the accident, including recklessness, negligence and/or intoxication.
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