Two Illinois families are suffering and a community is in mourning after a 5-year-old child died in a tragic car accident. The child was on a walk with her mother and two siblings when a car driven by a teenage driver smashed into the family, killing the young girl. The teenager now faces criminal charges in the collision, however her, or other parties involved may be held liable for the wrongful death of the child.
Illinois police have issued criminal charges against the teenage driver in this car accident. After initial investigations, they believe that the teen had used a can of dusting product as an inhalant just prior to the horrific crash. In fact, as a result of inhaling the chemical difluoroethane, found in the dusting spray, the teen may have passed out in the moments before she struck the pedestrian family.
The car being driven by the teenager failed to stop as the car drifted to the roadside. With the driver potentially incapacitated, the car veered into oncoming traffic before entering the sidewalk near a local grocery store where the family was walking. The tragedy has left a mother without one of her children and a teenager in jail facing serious charges.
The teenager in this case has been charged with multiple crimes as a result of this horrific incident. In addition to the criminal charges filed against the teenager, she, along with any other parties found to be involved may also face personal liability for the wrongful death of the child. Involved parties may include persons such as the owner of the car. The child’s family is suffering a nightmare that no amount of money can end, but local personal injury laws may be able to assist them in recovering some of their economic losses from this tragedy. During this difficult time, the focus of this family should be on each other and their loss, not on the financial implications of this accident.
Source: Highland Park, IL Patch, “Prosecutor Says Rousso May Have Fainted Before Driving into Family,” Jacob Nelson, Sept. 13, 2012