We all know that driving is often the most dangerous activity of our days. Indeed, depending on one’s job, for most of us, it actually is the most dangerous thing we do in our lives, and we do it almost every day. What we do not expect though, is for car accidents to follow us home, but this is exactly what happened to a Southington man, who was working in his yard.
The pedestrian-car accident
According to the Southington Police Department, the pedestrian-car accident occurred at just after 3:00, at the intersection of College Avenue and Minthal Drive. SPD explained that a juvenile was driving his vehicle on Minthal Drive, when he lost control in the eastbound curve and collided with a pedestrian doing lawn work.
After the car accident
The 63-year-old local was immediately taken to St. Francis Hospital with serious injuries. The hospital stated that he had cuts on his head and several broken bones, including his ribs and clavicle. According to the SPD, the juvenile driver is cooperating with the SPD Accident Investigation Team, and he has not yet been charged in relation to the car accident.
What happens if there are no charges?
Commonly, when a negligent driver cooperates with the police, as long as there are no signs of inebriation, the police do not charge the driver, even if someone is seriously injured or killed. This is true across the country, and not just here in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Luckily, for those injured in the car accident, whether the negligent driver is charged does not matter to a civil, personal injury lawsuit. A personal injury lawsuit is separate from a criminal proceeding initiated by the local prosecutor. Indeed, even if the car accident victim died, the family of the deceased can hold that negligent driver accountable through a wrongful death lawsuit.
