On Sunday, March 29, two men were killed in a head-on collision that occurred in the westbound lanes of J. Turner Butler Boulevard, according to state troopers. Two eyewitnesses reported seeing a young man driving east in the westbound lanes. The witnesses were driving east and said they tried to keep up with the man in order to get his attention but that he didn’t respond. One of the individuals recorded a short video of the event while the other called 911 shortly before the accident occurred.
The wrong-way driver, a 27-year-old male, did not have his headlights on and reportedly swerved across the lanes in his 2005 Subaru Forester, avoiding several other vehicles before colliding with a 2006 Chevrolet driven by a 55-year-old male. Both men were declared dead at the scene.
State troopers are unsure of why the young man was driving the wrong way and are doing blood tests in order to determine if drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident. He had previously been charged with two DUIs occurring in 2005 and 2015.
In a situation in which an individual dies due to the willful or negligent act of another, the victim’s family may be able to file a wrongful death claim in the effort to receive compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, lost wages and pain and suffering from the liable party. A lawyer with experience in wrongful death claims may be able to provide relevant legal counsel and inform the victim’s family and loved ones about their options for settling outside of court or taking the matter to trial.