Many people subscribe to the adage, Bad things come in threes, but sadly this saying would apply to one news article we ran across a while back. Although many individuals are hurt or permanently injured in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., areas, it is true that a percentage of car, truck and motorcycle roadway collisions result in fatalities.
That said, it in no way lessens the shock and grief that tend to overwhelm a family members following the untimely death of a relative or close family friend. As Baltimore injury accident lawyers, I and my legal staff have developed a deep understanding of the pain and heartache that many of our clients have experienced following a tragic car or trucking-related wreck.
Not surprisingly, the emotional hurt is only one aspect of a serious injury or fatal traffic accident. For those families whose primary breadwinner is involved in a fatal car or truck crash, the loss of income in itself can place a terrible burden on a family that may already have been struggling in this current economy. Even when the news is not as grave for a an automobile accident victim, the weeks or months spent in a hospital — unable to work or earn a living to his or her maximum potential — can also bring a family’s economic survival into question.
Not long ago, three individuals were killed in separate Maryland roadway accidents; one driver and two pedestrians each died within a day of each other in three different counties — Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s. The circumstances, though different, illustrated the various ways in which one might face similar life-threatening situations; hopefully we all can avoid anything similar ourselves in the future.
Pedestrian Killed in Great Mills Traffic Accident
A 53-year-old Lexington Park resident was struck and killed by a passenger car while attempting to cross a portion of Great Mills Rd. on a Saturday evening around 8pm. According to news reports, the victim was in the right-hand lane of eastbound Great Mills Rd. near Carver School Blvd. when we was reportedly clipped by a 1992 Honda driven by a 21-year-old woman.
The victim, who police stated was likely drunk at the time, was taken to Prince George’s Hospital Center; unfortunately, he died not long after arriving as doctors were unable to save him following his apparently fatal injuries. Police added that the victim was illegally in the roadway and wearing dark clothing prior to the nighttime collision; neither speed nor alcohol were said to be contributors on the driver’s part.
Evening Crash in La Plata Kills Waldorf, MD, Man
In another pedestrian fatality over in Charles County, a 31-year-old Waldorf resident was hit by a sport utility vehicle while he was reportedly trying to cross a section of southbound Rte 301 near Oriole Ln. Police in La Plata said that the victim had been hit by a late model Chevy Tahoe operated by a 27-year-old Waldorf man. News reports stated that the man was dead on arrival at Civista Medical Center. me.
Single-car Crash in Calvert County Claims One Life
An early morning traffic accident took the life of a driver when the vehicle in which the victim was riding left the roadway for some reason and eventually hit a nearby tree. Police reports indicate that the late model Toyota SUV was headed north along a stretch of Md. Rte 4 when it suddenly diverged from the road in the vicinity of Chaney Rd. Not long after striking the tree, the sport ute caught fire.
The news report at the time showed that the victim apparently received mortal trauma as a result of the collision with the tree and likely died before the fire engulfed the SUV. At the time of the new article, police suspected speed as a contributing factor in the crash, however an investigation was ongoing; there was no mention of whether a mechanical problem or component failure was also to blame for the deadly accident.
Two Pedestrians, One Driver Killed in 3 Separate Crashes Over Weekend, SoMd.com, October 17, 2011