Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
As most people might agree, intentional actions that result in injury to or death of another individual are certainly more heinous than those which occur as a result from a so-called accident or other outside influence. Still, anytime a person is killed or injured in an automobile or motorcycle accident, the party at fault should be held responsible for the collision, depending on the circumstances, of course.
As Maryland auto accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we know the extent that victims and their families must endure the consequences of a serious traffic collision. Regardless of the cause, the costs of such an event can be staggering to a family even of modest means, with the subsequent surgeries, rehabilitation time and possibly long-tern care. It’s only right that the responsible party be held accountable for that pain and suffering.
As many people know, these kinds of highway and urban crashes involve a range of vehicles, from small two-wheeled motorcycles to large and heavy 18-wheeled commercial trucks. Although it’s hard for most law-abiding and thoughtful people to imagine, some accidents are hardly that — they are intentional in the eyes of the law.
Based on news reports, Calvert County police believe that a Christmas Day car crash in the Chesapeake Beach area was allegedly caused on purpose by a Maryland man who intentionally struck another car severely injuring two other persons. According to police reports, the incident took place just after 4pm along a stretch of Rte 261 when a Chevy pickup driven by 24-year-old Stephen M. Stanley hit a Ford SUV from behind as that truck was entered the northbound lanes of the roadway.
Stanley, a resident of Lusby, MD, allegedly struck the 2003 Ford Explorer being driven by 17-year-old male, whose was being accompanied by a family member, 50-year-old Becky Olynik, both Chesapeake Beach residents. The force of which the collision apparently caused the Ford to go out of control; the resulting crash caused both occupants to be ejected from the vehicle, according to news reports.
The two victims were attended to at the scene by emergency personnel from local fire departments including North Beach and Prince Frederick. They were both taken to Prince George’s Shock Trauma facility for treatment of their various injuries. Although the young man was released within days, at the time of the article, the older woman was still in the hospital with what officials said were rather severe injuries.
The Calvert County authorities stated that they believed the crash was intentionally caused by Stanley, who police say was allegedly driving while under the influence at the time of the collision. As a result, police charged the man with two counts of first-degree assault, DUI and reckless driving, among others. According to reports, Stanley reportedly had two outstanding arrest warrants from the Maryland DNR.
Assault charges filed in accident, SoMDNews.com, December 29, 2010