Car Accident Round-Up – CO Accident Takes Life of TX Billionaire

Texas billionaire broadsided by sports utility vehicle in Colorado

Texas Billionaire Dies in CO Car Accident
Charles Wyly, a 77-year-old Texas billionaire and philanthropist, died near Aspen, CO in a two-car crash on Sunday.  Wyly, who was driving a Porsche, was turning back onto the highway near the airport, when his car was broadsided by a sport utility vehicle. Police believe Wyly failed to yield prior to entering the highway.  Wyly, who was central to building the Dallas Arts District, was pronounced dead at the local hospital.  The other driver suffered moderate injuries.

Rear-end Collision in FL on I-95 Kills One, Injures Two
A car stopped on the northbound lanes of I-95, north of Okeechobee Boulevard near exit 71, was rear-ended by another car early Sunday morning resulting in the death of a passenger, and serious injuries to the two drivers.  The interstate was closed for close to four hours while rescue workers worked at the scene.  […]

California Women Awarded $1.2 Million in DUI Civil Lawsuit

Two CA women receive settlement after being hit by drunk driver

Two women, who suffered permanent injuries after an automobile accident with an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles who was driving drunk, agreed to a $1.2 million settlement in a civil lawsuit against the woman.  The two women had already been awarded more than $1 million in compensatory damages by a jury.

The assistant DA had a BAC of .26, more than three times the legal limit, and admitted that she knew she was drunk. She decided to drive anyway in hopes that she would get home without getting caught.  In the April 2010 accident, she rear-ended the two women near Long Beach, CA resulting in one woman suffering back injuries, facial scars and lost teeth, and the other suffering from back injuries.

The women had sought $2 million, but agreed to the settlement to avoid a second trial and to get immediate payment. […]

MA Teen Dies in SUV Rollover Crash

15 Year old boy was not wearing seatbelt when car rolled over

Teenager Dies in I-90 Accident in MA

I-90 in West Springfield, MA was closed for over four hours last week while police investigated a one-car crash that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.  An SUV driven by a 17-year-old was traveling eastbound in the far right lane of the interstate when the driver moved into the left lane to pass a vehicle.  The driver then attempted to move back into the right lane when she realized another vehicle was in the left lane.  She lost control of the SUV and went off the road onto the shoulder where the vehicle flipped over several times landing on its roof.  The boy, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.  The other passengers and driver were treated for minor injuries. […]

Four Teenagers Die in Texas Car Collision

17 year old driver attempts to pass in no-passing zone, swerves into ditch killing four

Texas Accident Kills Four Teenagers, Injures Two

A Wise County, Texas two-car collision took the lives of four teenagers and seriously injured two others.  The 17-year-old driver of a Ford Mustang traveling southbound on Farm Road 730 near Decatur, around 3:15am Saturday morning, attempted to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone when the car crashed into a northbound Ford F-350 pickup truck. Although both vehicles swerved to avoid the collision they swerved into a ditch and collided.  Four passengers in the Mustang died, the driver of the Mustang remains hospitalized in critical condition, and the driver of the pickup was being treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Man at Wrong Place at Wrong Time Dies in Alcohol-Fueled Road Rage Incident

A man that had left his house Sunday afternoon to run errands was killed by a drunk driver who was also experiencing road rage at the time.  […]

CA Family Awarded $29.2 Million in Car Crash Lawsuit

Two children dead, one paralyzed in head-on car crash

The family of two children that died in November 2006 in a head-on collision on Highway 12 near Fairfield, California has been awarded $29.2 million by a Solano County jury.  The driver of an SUV crossed the center line and slammed into the oncoming passenger car leaving the two children dead, one child paralyzed from the waist down and the mother, and driver of the car, in the hospital for 2 months recovering from her injuries.

The driver of the SUV was traveling close to 80 MPH and attempted to pass two vehicles in a no-passing zone.  He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.  He was found 65% liable in the case, but due to his limited insurance coverage the state will pay the majority of the award.

The state was found 35% responsible in the case for unsafe conditions on the roadway. […]