Authorities with the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported that a 23-year-old White Bluff man was killed in a head-on collision on Nov. 3. The accident reportedly occurred around 6 p.m. in Erin on Highway 49.
According to reports, the man was driving a Nissan Maxima headed east on the highway. A Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by a 45-year-old Erin woman was traveling westbound. As the two vehicles neared one another, the woman reportedly crossed the centerline, slamming head-on into the man’s Maxima.
According to reports, the woman’s truck hit the car with such force that the truck landed on the Maxima, tearing the roof off the car. The car then allegedly overturned before landing on the highway’s shoulder. The police reports indicate the man was killed in the collision. According to law enforcement, the 45-year-old woman was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Criminal charges against the woman are currently pending, and the investigation into the crash continues. The man was scheduled to be married. He leaves behind his fiance and family.
When a person is killed in a car accident due to the wrongful or negligent actions of another driver, his or her family can hold a negligent driver liable by filing a civil wrongful death case. Drunk drivers can face both criminal and civil penalties for their criminal behavior leading to the deaths caused. Families who find themselves dealing with the loss of a loved one may be able to recover damages in order to provide compensation for their economic and noneconomic losses. When the driver was particularly wrongful, such as in the case of a drunk driver, punitive damages may also be available. Damages such as pain and suffering, funeral expenses, counseling costs and the loss of their loved one’s companionship may be recoverable.
Source: WKRN, “Head-on crash in Erin leaves White Bluff man dead”, November 04, 2014
