People often panic in the aftermath of crashes for which they could be held responsible. The statements given to police at that time of the car accident could change during subsequent questioning. This may cause police here in Louisiana and elsewhere to re-evaluate the circumstances surrounding the incident in order to determine the truth.
For example, on Sept. 19, a woman who drove a school bus for the local parish in which she lived died from injuries she suffered while crossing the street to where she parked her bus. She crossed that street every school day for a number of years. A neighbor recalled that she was ordinarily careful about making sure she had enough time to cross the road and often carried a strobe light to warn oncoming vehicles.
The man driving the vehicle that struck her claimed in an email to a news outlet in the area that the first time he ever saw the woman was that morning. However, when he first spoke to police, he said that he had seen the woman crossing the street on numerous occasions. With these inconsistencies to deal with, the investigation remains ongoing, and no charges have been filed at this point.
Even if none are filed, that does not mean that the woman’s family cannot file a wrongful death claim against the driver. They have undoubtedly incurred significant expenses and other damages in the aftermath of this tragic car accident. If the driver is proved negligent through appropriate evidence, a Louisiana court could enter an award of damages that could help with those financial losses.
Source: shreveporttimes.com, “Update: Driver speaks out about fatal accident“, Seagann March, Sept. 22, 2016
