A man was recently arrested and is now facing upgraded charges after a passenger in his vehicle died from injuries sustained in a recent accident. Reports say that the 24-year-old man was recently taken into custody by officers of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office. When New Jersey residents are killed in car accidents in which negligence was a cause or contributing factor in another individual’s death, loved ones of the deceased are typically entitled to file a wrongful death suit against the responsible individual.
The accident took place on an early Tuesday morning in late December. Police say the 24-year-old man’s car was traveling at a high rate of speed — around 60 miles per hour — when he lost control of the vehicle and it collided with a tree as well as two parked cars, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office says. The posted speed limit where the fatal accident took place is 25 miles per hour.
A male Jersey City passenger in his vehicle was rushed to a local medical center. He has since been pronounced deceased due to injuries he suffered in the accident. The driver is currently being held at a correctional facility in Kearny, Hudson County, and has been charged with death by auto and driving while intoxicated, as well as speeding and reckless driving in connection with his alleged role in the fatal crash, the sheriff’s office says.
Losing loved ones in car accidents can be incredibly difficult. However, knowing that a one’s loved one’s death could have been prevented is even more traumatic. Added to this emotional trauma, the surviving family may be faced with expenses of a funeral and burial, as well as the loss of a loved one’s income. In this case, in order to obtain financial relief, the family may decide to pursue a wrongful death claim in a New Jersey civil court. However, in order to successfully navigate such a claim, sufficient evidence to show negligence on the part of the driver must first be gathered, and a criminal conviction could be submitted as proof.
Source: nj.com, “Jersey City man is arrested, charges upgraded, after passenger in accident dies, sheriff says“, Nancy Benecki, Jan. 7, 2016