Most of us know that when we are driving and encounter a funeral procession, we should pull over and allow them to pass. That’s just what one 21-year-old North Carolina man tried to do, but unfortunately another driver ignored the courtesy and slammed into the rear of the man’s 2006 Chevrolet Equinox, killing his 1-year old daughter.
Even though the baby was secured in a car seat, the force of the impact was too great. She was not responsive at the accident scene and was taken by helicopter to Levine Children’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The 38-year-old man who caused the fatality was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado when he struck the vehicle with the child and her parents inside on Friday, May 27. The accident occurred in the small town of Lincolnton, which is located near Charlotte.
A witness to the crash said that neither she nor her son heard the screech of brakes being applied, just the sound of the impact and a woman screaming, “My baby, my baby.”
Police continue their investigation into the fatal collision but have not yet filed any charges against the driver. The baby’s parents made the decision to harvest their daughter’s organs, allowing three other children’s lives to be saved.
Even if no charges are filed in the child’s death — which seems unlikely — the distraught parents may still pursue civil justice through filing a wrongful death claim naming the negligent driver and his insurance company as defendants. While nothing can ever replace the young life that was lost, seeking civil justice is another way to force accountability after an accident.
Source: Daily Mail, “One-year-old girl killed in car crash after parents pulled over to make way for a funeral procession,” James Gordon, June 02, 2016
