In the most bizarre of coincidences, three motor vehicle accidents that involved wrong-way drivers have occurred in the Phoenix area over the last week. Seven people have died in the string of wrong-way accidents and numerous others have suffered injuries ranging from minor to very serious. Officials are completely baffled by the series of wrecks and there doesn’t seem to be any explanation for these wrecks other than they are completely coincidental.
Impairment is either suspected or has already been proven in all three wrecks, which probably isn’t too surprising. Many wrong-way accidents involve impaired drivers, and many of these wrecks also occur late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
But all of this logic and reason behind wrong-way accidents means little to the people and families who are affected by such an accident. They are either hurt or suffering, and in either situation, the criminal charges that may be levied against the wrong-way driver may not help them fully deal with the crash and its aftermath. They may be dealing with massive medical bills as a result of the terrible injuries that were suffered in the crash.
A civil case can also be made against a negligent driver who is facing criminal charges, though these situations can become complicated. Even though it seems pretty clear that a wrong-way driver is negligent in some way, it can behoove you to await the official determination of police. Hopefully this weird and tragic series of wrecks has finally come to an end.
Source: Star Tribune, “Accident is third fatal wrong-way collision in Phoenix area in 1 week,” Terry Tang, Associated Press, May 18, 2014