Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
Here in Maryland the police are fairly strict when it comes to reckless driving and endangering the lives of other on public roads. And why not? Every year hundreds of people are hurt or killed in senseless car, truck and motorcycle accidents in and round cities like Bowie, Cumberland, Rockville and even Washington, D.C. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we know how a so-called simple instance of aggressive driving can result in one or more people being sent to the hospital, or worse.
Until and accident occurs, much of the potential collateral damage and bodily injuries from a car or trucking-related roadway collision are just that, potential; unrealized until someone makes the wrong move. It’s difficult enough these days to avoid becoming a part of a random car wreck, much less have a thoughtless motorist up the odds that you or a loved one could be injured or killed as a result of a pointless highway or expressway collision.
Yet, every month, drivers from all around our state face an uncertain future due to serious injuries sustained in traffic accidents not of their own making. For those individuals who act irresponsibly on public roads, they should be held accountable for their actions. Accidents surely happen, but some “accidents” do not need to happen.
From closed-head trauma, to spinal cord damage and internal injuries, treatment of these and numerous other medical conditions is necessitated following high-speed car and truck crashes. A family who has lost one of its own following a bad collision knows the pain of this loss and the vacant hole that such a tragedy ultimately causes.
We’re reminded of this kind of scenario over and over again when scanning the news articles from across Maryland. One item that recently caught our attention involved a man whose apparently reckless driving resulted in the premature death of a Fort Washington man.
The accident in question happened along a stretch of Rte 100 near Quarterfield Rd. in Anne Arundel County, MD. Based on police reports, a 25-year-old man from Pasedena, MD, was arrested months after a fatal 2011 car crash near Glen Burnie. According to reports, Zachary Covington was arrested by police on charges of negligent automobile manslaughter in the death of 66-year-old John Cornelius.
The crash that fatally injured Mr. Cornelius took place on a late November evening last year. Police allege that Covington was driving his ‘05 BMW in reckless manner, weaving in and out of traffic along Rte 100. Eventually, the BMW ended up hitting a Ford pickup truck, followed by a ‘92 Nissan Sentra, which Cornelius was driving.
The force of the impact reportedly caused the Sentra to overturn and crash. Mr. Cornelius was seriously hurt during the accident and was subsequently rushed to University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma center. Unfortunately, doctors could not save the victim and he died a short time after being admitted to the emergency room.
The preliminary police accident investigation found that speed and aggressive driving were likely factors in the crash. Covington was arrested by police in mid-March for vehicular manslaughter, as well as other traffic offenses. At the time of the news article, the suspect was scheduled for arraignment with bail set at a half-million dollars. According to reports, the trial will take place next month.
Pasadena driver faces manslaughter charge in Route 100 crash, BaltimoreSun.com, March 12, 2012