Most West Virginia residents know that many factors may lead to a driver traveling in the opposite lane of traffic: reckless behavior, distractions, road obstacles, etc. Even a driver experiencing an unexpected medical crisis can cause him or her to suddenly be facing oncoming vehicles. Whether the driver is at fault or not, tragic motor vehicle accidents very often result from such circumstances. This is certainly what happened in a recent incident in which two people were killed.
The fatal crash happened on Interstate 79 in Lewis County very early on a recent Sunday morning. Reportedly, local authorities responded to a call about a vehicle traveling in the wrong lane, then later received a call about a collision. According to witnesses, a vehicle was traveling north in the southbound lanes before it crashed into a southbound vehicle.
According to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department, an 85-year-old man had been driving the wrong-way vehicle, which ended up on its roof in the median. Unfortunately, the man died at the scene. The driver of the vehicle that was hit, a 39-year-old man, was transported via air to a hospital. Sadly, once at the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are investigating the incident.
Often, motor vehicle accidents involving a head-on collision do not end well, resulting in at least one fatality. Although the evidence found in the investigation may lead to a different conclusion, authorities may very well find the wrong-way driver to be at fault due to negligent and/or reckless behavior of some sort. If that is the case, the family of the victim who was hit may have legal recourse. Even in a case where the responsible party also died in the incident, his or her estate could be held accountable. West Virginia attorneys experienced in personal injury cases are available to discuss options, including the possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit.
