A 19-year-old Dyersburg man was killed in a head-on auto crash on Nov. 17. He was allegedly not wearing a seat belt at the time of impact, which occurred on Nov. 17 at about 6:30 p.m. in the 6000 block of Highway 78 in Dyer County. The accident also left five others injured, including two children.
The young man who died was the single passenger of a 2006 Suzuki driven northbound by a 20-year-old man from Ridgely. The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that, at the same time, a 2002 Ford F1S was approaching in the opposite direction. The Ford was driven by a 52-year-old man also from Ridgely who was carrying three passengers. Allegedly, the Suzuki veered across the centerline into the path of the Ford.
Upon seeing the accident scene, a third vehicle, a 1995 Ford THL, driven by a 19-year-old Lake County man, reportedly lost control and skidded through the crash scene. He managed to avoid making contact with the other vehicles, and he and his passengers were not injured.
The drivers of the Suzuki and Ford F1S, and the passenger who was killed, were transported to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. A 40-year-old female passenger of the Ford also was treated at the same facility. A 10-year-old passenger was sent to Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis and a six-year old was treated at the scene and released.
By law, drivers must exercise reasonable care to all others on the road. When a fatal automobile accident occurs as the possible result of the apparent lack of such care, the driver may be held legally liable. In this case, the family of the person who died, with the help of an attorney, may be able to file a legal claim for wrongful death.
Source: State Gazette, “THP investigating deadly Sunday crash“, November 19, 2013