Sometimes Virginia Beach residents get injured or killed in an auto collision and there’s nothing they could have done to avoid it. This was the case in a fatal collision that happened on a recent Friday evening in Sterling. The crash left one man dead after a car drove into the parked vehicle he was sitting in.
According to authorities, a 39-year-old man was driving under the influence of alcohol in a Dodge Ram pickup when he lost control of the vehicle and struck the 29-year-old victim. Police reports initially indicated that the victim was a passenger in the Ram, but later reports showed that the victim was inside the parked car.
After striking the parked car, the Ram continued on and struck a townhome. Fortunately, no one inside the home suffered injuries.
The Dodge Ram driver was taken into custody by authorities and charged with DUI, involuntary manslaughter and operating a vehicle on a suspended license. As of last reports, police were still holding him without bond.
In fatal car accidents caused by drunk drivers, close family members of the victims may want to pursue financial claims related to the wrongful death of their loved ones. Wrongful death claims are filed in civil court, and — depending on the facts surrounding the accident — the victims’ family members may be able to hold a drunk driver liable to pay for various damages, including lost family income, lost family relationship, lost spousal benefits, lost future inheritance, end of life expenses related to funeral and memorial costs and other categories of damages.
Source: Patch, “Herndon Man Killed In Violent DUI Crash Identified,” Dan Taylor, Dec. 05, 2017