Big rig causes chain reaction crash, killing 2 individuals
A tragic five-vehicle accident recently occurred in Keswick. Two people lost their lives, and two others were injured. The initial crash occurred between a big rig and an SUV, and then other subsequent crashes occurred. The Virginia authorities are still investigating the accidents.
At about 11 a.m. on I-64, traffic had slowed down due to an earlier crash. However, after a preliminary investigation, the authorities suspect that a big rig may not have braked in time to avoid rear-ending an SUV that had already started to slow down. The impact forced the SUV into a car, and then the big rig hit the car as well. The car caught on fire, and the 70-year-old driver lost her life in the crash.
A second SUV was forced off of the road after it was struck by one of the aforementioned vehicles, and it rolled once it was hit. The second SUV then hit a second big rig, and a passenger in the SUV was thrown out of the vehicle. The passenger was transported to a local hospital, but he later died from the injuries he had suffered. The driver of the first big rig was charged with reckless driving, and he may eventually face additional charges.
Even if further Virginia criminal charges are not brought against the big rig driver, the families of the deceased have the right to file civil suits against the driver and the driver’s employer. If each of the deceased’s estates are successful in proving their wrongful death allegations, then those families could receive monetary compensation. Additionally, a successful suit may help the families achieve some sense of justice after the tragic incident.
Source: dailyprogress.com, “2 killed, 2 hurt in I-64 crash“, Dean Seal, Aug. 6, 2014