An accident in Connecticut is responsible for the loss of an elderly woman’s life. The victim was apparently struck by a mini-van while she was crossing the street earlier this month. The driver believed to be responsible for this pedestrian accident reportedly failed to remain at the scene of the crash. Thankfully, witnesses to the incident were able to provide police with detailed information of the vehicle, which led to the driver’s arrest.
The accident occurred recently in Stamford. The victim, a 70-year-old female, was walking across Woodland Avenue when she was hit by the van. The force of impact was so great that she was shoved to the other side of the street, coming to a stop underneath another vehicle. She was quickly transported to a hospital for medical care, but she died of her injuries shortly after arriving.
According to witnesses, the driver, a 45-year-old woman, didn’t stop after striking the victim and reportedly struck another vehicle before fleeing the scene. Witnesses were able to provide the license plate number of the van to local law enforcement, which led to the drivers arrest shortly after the incident. The driver, who apparently has a lengthy criminal record, is facing several criminal charges related to this accident. She is due to appear in court mid-May.
A fatal pedestrian accident, particularly those caused by a hit-and-run driver, may understandably leave the victim’s surviving family members with questions, which can go unanswered if the driver isn’t found. Thankfully, in this situation witnesses to the incident were able to help police arrest the person deemed responsible, which will help the victim’s family in their healing process. Along with the criminal charges this driver faces, a wrongful death claim may also be submitted by the victim’s family in Connecticut civil court. If negligence is confirmed, a monetary award may be granted to surviving family members for the heart-wrenching loss they have suffered.
Source: wfsb.com, “PD: Hit-and-run driver killed 70-year-old woman”, Courtney Zieller and Joseph Wenzel IV, April 21, 2014
