Did driver negligence cause fatal cross-over accident?

In many car crashes on Missouri roads, the cause of the accident is easily identifiable. As is typical in accidents that involve fatalities, cross-over accidents call for an accident reconstruction team to identify exactly what occurred, including any evidence of negligence. One such accident claimed the lives of two people and caused serious injuries to three others on a recent Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, a 30-year-old Mustang driver with two passengers was northbound on Highway 221 in St. Francois County when he drove across the center line, directly into the path of a southbound minivan. After the unavoidable head-on crash that followed, the 50-year-old minivan driver was hospitalized; she later succumbed to severe injuries. A 42-year-old minivan passenger was rushed to a hospital with moderate injuries.

A 33-year-old passenger in the Mustang died at the crash scene. The driver of that vehicle and the other passenger suffered serious injuries. They were transported to medical facilities by helicopter and ambulance, respectively. The conditions of the three survivors of this crash are unknown. 

Based upon the preliminary accident information, the Mustang driver may face several civil lawsuits for damages. The surviving family members of the two individuals who lost their lives, along with the two victims who suffered serious injuries, are entitled to pursue claims for financial relief by filing wrongful death or personal injury suits in a Missouri civil court. Negligence will have to be documented in each claim. Once financial liability is established, a judge may enter monetary judgments to cover documented financial and non-financial losses that were brought about by the accident.

Source: dailyjournalonline.com, “UPDATE: MSHP confirms two died in crash on Hwy. 221 today“, Oct. 14, 2015