Any community recoils when a traffic accident kills several people, especially when children are involved. Ashtabula is still reeling from a two-vehicle accident on October 19 that killed an entire family.
The victims were traveling on West 58th Street in a Toyota Corolla. A pickup truck driven by a man with a history of drunken driving violations failed to obey a stop sign on a street that intersects with 58th Street. The pickup truck hit the Corolla, and all four occupants of the Corolla were pronounced dead at the scene. The four victims included the driver, his wife, their infant son and another man. The driver of the pickup escaped with minor injuries.
The prosecutor’s office said that the driver of the pickup truck had four prior drunk driving convictions in 1997, 1998, 2008 and 2015. The prosecutor said the driver was “a danger to the community.” The Ohio Highway Patrol said that alcohol or drugs “appeared to have been a factor in the crash.” Investigation of the accident is still underway.
According to facts released by the police, the pickup driver appears to have been at fault for the accident, even if he is ultimately found to have been sober. The families of the deceased will likely have claims against the driver for wrongful death. Anyone facing a similar loss may want to get more information about legal options after motor vehicle accidents. Doing so can provide a helpful evaluation of the facts of the case and estimates about the likelihood of recovering damages for loss of companionship.
