Any time a person is involved in an Ohio car accident in which someone was injured, it is a crime to leave the scene of that accident. Particularly if other charges may be filed, adding hit-and-run to the list of accusations may only make the individual’s situation worse. Law enforcement authorities say that a man was recently arrested after reportedly leaving the scene of a fatal car accident, as well as driving drunk.
At about 5:30 a.m., the man was reportedly driving north on Interstate 77. For undetermined reasons, his minivan left the proper lanes and crossed the median into the southbound lanes. The minivan smashed into an oncoming pickup truck, causing a fatal accident.
However, by the time the local police officer and emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the minivan driver was nowhere to be found. After a search of the area, the authorities discovered the minivan driver hiding in a ditch. The man was tested for driving while intoxicated, and a preliminary test revealed that his blood alcohol content was more than twice our state’s legal limit.
The man was arrested and charged with OVI, hit-and-run and aggravated vehicular homicide. No matter the results of the Ohio criminal trial, the family of the pickup driver may elect to file a wrongful death suit against the minivan driver. While filing the suit will not bring the man back, a successful resolution may at least compensate the man’s family for the monetary damages endured as a result of the fatal car accident.
Source: fox8.com, “Man accused in deadly drunk driving crash“, Dave Nethers, June 20, 2014