Some crashes are not what they appear to be when Colorado law enforcement officials first arrive at the scene. For this reason, they rely on witnesses to fill in some of the gaps to help them determine what happened and who was at fault. This is especially helpful in fatal motor vehicle accidents where one or more of the people involved are unable to tell their stories.
For instance, a driver involved in an accident that occurred on a recent Thursday night fled the scene. If not for the quick thinking of a witness who followed the vehicle, police may have not found the driver as quickly. Instead, the driver believed responsible for the crash was taken into custody at his home thanks to the witness. Officials got to the driver quickly enough to arrest him not only for the accident, but also on suspicion of driving under the influence.
The driver slammed into the back of another vehicle. The 34-year-old woman driving that car was ejected during the crash. She suffered fatal injuries at the scene. The allegedly intoxicated driver faces charges of DUI, vehicular assault and vehicular homicide, along with reckless driving.
Thanks to the witness, the family of the victim has at least some answers regarding how their loved one died and who may be responsible. Furthermore, they can attempt to hold the driver legally responsible for the crash through the filing of a wrongful death claim. The civil action could more than likely benefit from using evidence gathered by police that prosecutors intend to use against him in the criminal action, along with proof of any conviction secured. Successfully establishing negligence in fatal motor vehicle accidents paves the way for Colorado civil courts to consider awarding damages to grieving families such as this one.
Source: krdo.com, “Driver faces charges of vehicular homicide, DUI in deadly Pueblo crash”, Johnathan Wesselink, May 5, 2017