A man from the Northland area of Kansas City, Missouri, was killed in a car wreck on Feb. 10 when a motorist struck his vehicle on highway 152. The man, a grandfather helping his grandson diagnose a car problem, sat parked on the shoulder waiting for his grandson’s car to cool down when an SUV approached from behind and struck his vehicle. The SUV continued to travel after the impact, striking the grandson’s unoccupied car as well.
The man’s grandson, who received only minor injuries, flagged down passing motorists and located a nurse who administered first aid to his grandfather. Both of the victims were taken to the hospital where the grandfather died from his injuries. The driver of the SUV was uninjured in the auto accident.
Police officers arrested the driver of the SUV on the suspicion of impaired driving and are waiting on the suspect’s toxicology report while they continue to investigate the car crash. Initially jailed, the suspect was released from custody the next day. In an unrelated incident, authorities in Clay County charged this same driver with driving on a revoked or suspended license last month.
While this case may seem clear cut at first, one possible area of contention could center on the use of seat belts. The two victims were not belted in as they sat unmoving on the shoulder in the grandfather’s vehicle, but the SUV driver was wearing his seat belt.
In the eyes of the grandfather’s family and possibly the public, this fact likely won’t have an impact on the way they view what could be a drunk driving accident, but a clever defense attorney might attempt to use this information on behalf of the driver. To protect the rights of the injured or the dead and win compensation for medical expenses or pain and suffering, good quality legal representation is a must.
Source: The Kansas City Star, “Crash kills Northland man who was helping grandson with car problems” Glenn E. Rice, Feb. 11, 2014