Two people were tragically killed in Grand Junction the night of June 24, according to local sources. Colorado police believe the accident may have been precipitated by alcohol use. Fatal motor vehicle accidents caused by drunk driving are perhaps even more tragic because of their preventable nature.
According to the accident report, the 26-year-old male driver and his 25-year-old passenger were traveling north on 25 Road around 8:20 p.m. when the accident occurred. It appears the driver lost control of his vehicle, causing the car to leave the road and enter an irrigation ditch. The vehicle became submerged for an unknown extent of time.
Both the driver and the passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner determined the cause of death was drowning and ruled the death an accident. However, it was noted that both individuals registered blood alcohol levels some three times the legal limit. Only the driver was wearing a seat belt at the time. As of this report, the accident is still under investigation by Colorado authorities.
Obviously, no charges will be filed in this case as the driver was killed alongside his passenger. However, fatal motor vehicle accidents must still be investigated until a clear cause for the crash is found. In this case, Colorado authorities are fairly certain the driver’s intoxicated state contributed in a meaningful way to the tragic loss of life. This means the family of the deceased passenger can file a wrongful death suit against the driver’s estate using the evidence of driver intoxication to back up their claim in a civil court setting.
Source: kjct8.com, “CSP identifies 2 killed in 25 Road crash“, Makenzie O’Keefe, June 24, 2016