A tenth-grader at Spring Hill High School in Columbia, Tennessee, died in a collision between a Nissan XGU and a Chevrolet S10 pick-up truck near Mt. Olivet Road and King Lane. Three other people, including the drivers of the Chevrolet and the Nissan, were injured. The Tennessee Highway Patrol say speed may have been a factor.
The accident occurred when the Nissan, driven by an unnamed juvenile, crossed the center lane and collided with the pick-up driven by a 28-year-old man from Columbia. The 28-year-old was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Both the unnamed driver of the Nissan and a 17-year-old passenger were airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center. The tenth-grader was in the front passenger seat of the Nissan and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt; police report would have made a difference.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, no one involved in the accident was using alcohol. However, tests have been requested for the driver of the pick-up truck, the juvenile driver of the Nissan and the teenager who died in the accident. Criminal charges are pending, but it is unclear against whom they will be filed.
Moving vehicle collisions where speed is a factor often result in catastrophic injuries or death. The family of a victim killed in a fatal car crash is entitled to recover economic damages from those responsible for the accident. Recoverable losses include fair and adequate compensation for the comforts and societal benefits they would have derived from the deceased family member had they lived. An attorney skilled in motor vehicle and wrongful death law may help them protect their economic interests.
Source: Columbia Daily Herald, “Spring Hill High School student dies in crash“, Bailey Loosemore and Chris Fletcher, October 15, 2013