Following a collision with a parked school bus on November 17, the 31-year-old passenger of a Ford Taurus is now deceased. The victim, from Virginia Beach, succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the fatal car accident.
The driver of the Ford Taurus, a 32-year-old from Chesapeake, faces charges of DUI and involuntary manslaughter. Around 2:15am that Saturday morning, he had been driving on Northwood Drive in Virginia Beach when his vehicle hit the edge of a stationary school bus.
He hit the bus on the passenger side of his car, but the worst was yet to come for the passenger riding alongside him. After clipping the bus, the car’s driver continued on Northwood and hit a curb. He then proceeded to hit a fire hydrant before the car finally came to a halt.
Unfortunately, at that point the impacts had led to such severe head injuries in the passenger that he did not survive the crash.
Authorities are holding the driver at Virginia Beach City jail without bond.
Fatal motor vehicle accidents and DUI charges are not uncommonly linked; according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2011, almost 250 fatalities correlated with alcohol-related accidents in Virginia. Over 5,000 people were injured in similar accidents that same year.
Earlier in November, an erratic driver made headlines in Virginia after police discovered that not only was his blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit, but the driver was also carrying a dead skunk with him.
Whether unusual or typical, drunk driving can open up a wide range of possibilities for fatal motor vehicle accidents on Virginia’s roadways.
Especially when victims of fatal crashes are in their 30s or 40s, the effects on loved ones can be both emotional and financial. Thankfully, survivors have options when it comes to seeking the most appropriate compensation for their loss, although deciding on such a path almost always requires professional assistance.
Source: WAVY, “DUI suspect charged in fatal crash.” Nov. 17, 2012.
