The incident happened on a day in mid-August. According to reports, a 31-year-old man from out of state was driving a tractor-trailer in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75. Two wheels on the tractor-trailer apparently came off one of the axles of the truck.
One of the tires flew across a concrete median and struck a southbound sports utility vehicle. Law enforcement officers claim that the tire took most of the top of the vehicle off. The 36-year-old driver of the SUV, a woman, reportedly died instantly; her parents and child suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The tractor-trailer driver has since been arrested, charged with second-degree vehicular homicide, defective tires, and unsafe vehicle/equipment. Despite the charges the man is facing, the accident remains under investigation. In the meantime, the woman’s family is left trying to cope with her unexpected, preventable death. Because of the complications created by lost wages and funeral expenses, many people who have lost a loved one in a fatal accident may also face a precarious financial situation in addition to coping with their grief. As such, surviving family members in Georgia sometimes choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit, which could result in a monetary award if successfully presented.
