A 23-year-old Washington woman is dead following an accident that occurred around 2 a.m. on Sept. 10 in Kitsap County when she was struck by a car as she was crossing the street. A 25-year-old male who was walking with her was critically injured. According to police, the driver of the vehicle appeared intoxicated and was unable to complete field sobriety tests after the accident.
The crash occurred after the pedestrians and the 26-year-old driver left a party at a local tavern. The woman was declared dead at the scene. The male pedestrian was taken to a hospital in Seattle for treatment of critical injuries. The driver and two passengers in the vehicle were uninjured.
According to police, the man admitted to drinking both beer and vodka before driving. He was also allegedly traveling at a speed of 35 mph in a 25 mph zone. The man is facing charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. At the time of the report, he was in jail on a $500,000 bond.
Driving while intoxicated often results in serious auto injuries to others and demonstrates negligence on the part of an at-fault driver. The family of someone killed by a negligent driver may decide to seek compensation for funeral expenses as well as the contributions the person may have made toward household bills had they lived. Other possible damages include the pain and suffering experienced by the victim and loss of companionship. An attorney may review all accident data and witness accounts to help the family build a strong wrongful death case against the driver.
Source: KIROtv.com, “Driver arrested after fatal crash into pedestrians“, September 11, 2014