Even when the mechanics of a crash can be determined from the scene, law enforcement officials here in Colorado and elsewhere require more information in order to complete their investigations. For this reason, witnesses play a critical role in serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents. This is especially true when the seriously injured or deceased party is the victim and cannot speak for him or herself.
Police in Colorado’s second largest city are currently asking people to come forward who may have witnessed a crash that took place on a recent Wednesday evening shortly after 5 p.m. From what officers at the scene have been able to surmise, vehicle one slammed into the back of another vehicle on Interstate 25. The impact catapulted the struck vehicle through the grass median into the oncoming lanes of travel.
A third vehicle in the northbound lanes then struck the out-of-control second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle, a 33-year-old man, suffered was killed in the crash. The only other injuries were minor ones suffered by those in the first vehicle. Police ruled out drugs or alcohol as factors, but are still searching for the cause. So far, no charges have been filed and could depend on the outcome of the investigation.
In the meantime, the family of the deceased driver is surely grieving and likely dealing with his estate. As part of doing so, surviving family members may exercise the right given them by Colorado law to file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed responsible for his death. As is the case for other families who lose loved ones in fatal motor vehicle accidents, providing the appropriate evidence to the court could result in an award of damages that could help with the financial losses incurred in such tragedies.