Two individuals were killed in a three-vehicle accident in Memphis on Oct. 22, authorities stated. The Interstate 240 collision reportedly took place west of Getwell Road.
That is where a vehicle with a flat tire was attempting to pull over onto the interstate’s emergency lane and was rear-ended by another vehicle traveling at highway speeds, investigators indicated. The first vehicle reportedly caromed into a metal guardrail following the impact, which also caused it to spin out of control. The driver of the first vehicle, a man, was ejected from the car and suffered fatal injuries. Officials declared him dead at the scene of the wreck.
The second vehicle continued to travel along the highway until it collided with a third vehicle. Consequent to this collision, the second vehicle careened off the roadway, rolled over several times and came to a stop in a ditch, authorities said. Its driver, a woman, died at the accident scene.
Emergency personnel transported the third vehicle’s driver to Regional Medical Center. Reportedly, there were other individuals involved in the crash, and they too suffered injuries requiring hospitalization. Authorities described their condition as non-critical. It was unclear how many passengers were present in the three vehicles involved in the wreck. Nor was it clear which vehicles were carrying passengers.
The cause of the initial accident was not reported. Following traffic crashes like this one, the families of deceased victims may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court, naming as defendants the parties whose actionable behavior behind the wheel contributed to the incident. If the at-fault parties happened to perish in the event, then bereaved family members may bring the suit against the estates of the at-fault parties. If successful, claimants might be awarded financial compensation for their various losses.
Source: WREG, “Two dead after crash on I-40“, Ashley Forest, October 25, 2014