When it comes to surviving a serious car, motorcycle or commercial truck accident, fate does not discriminate between young or old, man or woman, driver or passenger. Depending on the type of accident, injuries can range from minor to severe, or somewhere in between. In the worst of cases, fatal results are not uncommon, especially in so-called “T-bone” collisions or head-on automobile wrecks.
As Maryland car accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand how the suddenness of a bad car, truck or motorcycle crash can change a person’s life forever. In the blink of an eye, a perfectly healthy individual can be set on a path of pain, reduced mobility or even permanent disability. And the costs associated with medical treatment and ongoing physical therapy and rehab can be staggering.
Representing residents of Baltimore, Gaithersburg, Rockville and the District, our job is to help victims recover damages caused as a result of another person’s negligence. In cases of fatal car, truck and pedestrian accidents it is not uncommon for the family of the victim to file a wrongful death claim against one or more parties on behalf of their deceased loved one.
And while nothing can bring back a person killed in a senseless and tragic traffic collision, there are instances where justice served can provide a grieving family some level of closure following an unexpected death. Not too long ago, an elderly woman was killed when the vehicle in which she was riding was hit by another motorist who allegedly ran a red light, causing fatal injuries and leaving her husband to face life alone.
According to news reports, the local couple was traveling in their 2004 Audi late on a Tuesday night in Arnold, MD, when the accident occurred. Based on police reports, the crash happened just after 11pm along a stretch of Ritchie Hwy when the driver of a Honda Accord traveling north along College Pkwy apparently ignored or didn’t see the red traffic signal. Passing though the intersection and against the red light, the Accord slammed into the right side of Audi A8, which was reportedly making a left turn onto College at the time.
According to police in Anne Arundel County, the force of the accident caused the Audi to strike a Ford Contour that was also making a left turn from Ritchie onto College. Authorities stated that 71-year-old Lois Feick was killed in the collision between the Honda and Audi. The woman’s husband Jack Feick, also 71, received serious injuries and was transported by emergency responders to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The Honda driver, 29-year-old Tyler Stewart of Baltimore, reportedly received minor injuries as a result fo the crash.
At the time of the news article, police were still assessing the accident scene, however preliminary results of their crash scene investigation apparently showed that the Honda’s driver was at fault for not stopping for the red signal at the intersection. There was no mention of whether the reasons may have been alcohol-related or if there was a vehicle mechanical problem with the Honda that prevented the driver from stopping in time.
Arnold woman, 71, killed in crash after car ran light, police say, BaltimoreSun.com, July 6, 2011