Safe driving requires sound decision making and attention to traffic conditions. Good judgment should begin when a driver gets behind the wheel. Failure to exercise good judgment increases the probability of an accident, and the results are often disastrous.
A recent accident in Thornton shows just how horrific the results of poor decision making can be. According to police, a 23-year-old man working as a pizza delivery man was killed in a Saturday afternoon accident near East 112th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard when his car was struck head-on by a speeding driver. The accident apparently began when the speeding driver, a 27-year-old male, hit another pickup that was exiting a parking lot. The first pickup then swerved into opposing traffic, where it hit the victim’s car. The dead man is survived by a wife and son. The driver was apprehended by police on charges of vehicular homicide, reckless drivingand driving without insurance.
This accident clearly shows the terrible consequences of a driver showing no regard for others on the road. The exact details will have to be uncovered by police as they investigate the crash. Beyond speeding and not following traffic rules, however, negligence can show itself in a myriad of ways, including driving while intoxicated and driving while distracted through the use of a cellphone or texting. Such behavior puts the driver’s own life at risk, as well as the lives of passengers and other people on the road.
In addition to any criminal prosecution and possible punishment, a reckless driver can be held responsible by a victim or surviving family members in civil court for an accident. They can seek compensation for medical and funeral expenses, loss of companionship and lost wages.