An elderly woman stands accused of running over a group of young boys with her vehicle, causing one death. The Colorado woman was injured in the crash and is currently being treated, but she will face charges when she is released from the hospital. As with many fatal motor vehicle accidents, a larger investigation is in the process of being conducted.
The accident report states the 81-year-old woman was driving only a few blocks from her residence on July 14 when the accident occurred. Witnesses said she was driving erratically when she strayed into a bike lane and struck several teenage boys. She continued for another quarter-mile before crashing her vehicle into a park. A 14-year-old boy was killed and a 13-year-old boy was injured.
Family members say the woman has been having difficulty driving for some time, though there was apparently no appropriate procedure for her license to have been revoked prior to this accident. Her license has been suspended following this tragedy, however. In the interim, grief counselors have been called to the school the deceased boy attended to help students and teachers cope with his loss.
In fatal motor vehicle accidents involving an elderly driver, some sympathy can be mustered for the driver who likely did not intend to cause harm. However, Colorado law requires all drivers to maintain a level of proficiency behind the wheel to prevent just these sorts of accidents. The family of the deceased boy may therefore wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the woman, even if she is not ultimately charged with a crime.
Source: CBS Denver, “Woman Accused Of Killing Teen In Crash Was Involved In Previous Crash“, July 20, 2016