Atmore man charged in June 2010 wrongful death of car passenger

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, April 7, 2011.

In the early morning hours of June 19 last year, a 19-year-old from Atmore was killed in a single-vehicle car accident near Flomaton. He was a passenger in a car driven by a friend, another young man from Atmore, then 21. The driver and another passenger, a 19-year-old girl, were seriously injured in the car accident. Now that driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with the wrongful death of his friend.

According to an Alabama State Patrol report, the three were in a Crown Victoria headed westbound on Old Atmore Road about half a mile west of Tulip Street at about 3:30 a.m. when the fatal accident occurred. The driver told police that he swerved to miss a deer on the straight stretch of road, but he lost control of the car.

The Crown Victoria flipped twice before coming to a rest on its roof. The 19-year-old male passenger was not wearing a seat belt, and he was pronounced dead on the scene. No evidence has been reported that drugs or alcohol were involved in the fatal rollover accident.

The man has now been indicted for vehicular manslaughter and faces up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted of causing the wrongful death of his friend.

When we think of car accidents, we often assume that the most serious ones involve two or more vehicles. When driving on an empty road, especially late at night, it is essential to remember that driver distraction or unexpected obstacles like deer are still a danger.

Don’t put yourself in the position of being responsible for a friend’s wrongful death. Please drive safely.

Source: NorthEscambia.com, “Atmore Man Indicted For Manslaughter After 2010 Flomaton Wreck,” April 7, 2011