When an innocent life is taken due to another driver’s negligence, families of the deceased victim often seek the maximum sentence for the perpetrator. It is difficult to have a loved one’s life cut short due to the poor actions of a motorist.
The family of a 21-year-old girl who died in a catastrophic tractor-trailer accident forgave the man responsible for killing their daughter. The 70-year-old man was operating a tractor-trailer and allegedly checking his side mirror to make a lane change when he struck the back of the girl’s car. The truck was going 59 mph at the time of impact and showed no signs of attempting to brake before the collision. Although the truck driver had no prior violations, this simple act of negligence cost the life of the young woman.
Rather than ask for the truck driver to receive the maximum sentence, the family of the girl forgave him. As the grieving mother hugged the perpetrator, she voiced that she saw no reason for the man to be held in prison away from his family. She reiterated that he must live with the knowledge that he had taken her daughter from her. The man was sentenced to three-year probation and was ordered to not obtain a CDL during that time. The young woman’s vehicle was not the only one affected that day. The truck went on to hit seven vehicles in all, injuring six people.
If you are an injured victim or have lost a loved one in a fatal accident, you may want to obtain counsel from an attorney regarding your rights. You may be eligible for compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, emotional trauma and lost wages from work.
Source: Herald-Mail Media, “Great Cacapon, W. VA., man avoids jail in deadly I-81 crash,” Don Aines, May 11, 2017.