According to the deceased’s daughter, her mother, who was from Augusta, went to the mailbox at around 11:30 a.m. The woman was on the side of the road at the mailbox on Blackwood Place when a Dodge Neon SXT struck her. The Dodge arrived on Blackwood from Ga. Highway 53, and a Georgia State Patrol’s incident report indicated that the vehicle was traveling at a fast speed. After the impact, the pedestrian sent her about 52 feet into the air.
The Augusta woman was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga but died at the hospital. After the crash, the Dodge traveled further along the street, hit multiple mailboxes, went into yards, and stopped after striking a tree. The driver went to Gordon Hospital and now faces four counts of DUI and four counts of first-degree homicide by vehicle.
A family may be struggling in the wake of a car accident that took a loved one’s life but could have the right to compensation when a driver’s negligence caused the wreck. A wrongful death suit might allow a victim’s family to recover expenses lost due to funeral costs and medical bills, and a family may even be awarded damages for emotional pain and suffering. Drunk driving is negligent behavior that can make a driver responsible for an accident, and public evidence of DUI used in a criminal hearing could also be used in civil court.
Source: Calhoun Times, “Alleged drunk driver indicted in deadly car-pedestrian crash“, November 22, 2014
