A 33-year-old man driving down Woodward Avenue in Norwalk on Oct. 24 struck three pedestrians at around 8:30 p.m. The driver then exited his car and fled on foot, according to the police.
The accident injured two of the pedestrians, and officials transported the third to a local hospital where he died. Authorities are still investigating the crash but did arrest the driver.
The police charged the driver with operating without a license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, unsafe movement of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility resulting in death and evading responsibility resulting in property damage. They placed him in custody on a $750,000 bond. Information about his use of alcohol or drugs was not released.
In a hit-and-run pedestrian accident that results in the death of an individual, the relatives of the deceased may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault party in the accident. The family might receive compensation for any medical bills for the time the deceased was in the hospital along with funeral expenses. In some cases, the claim might possibly include loss of income and loss of companionship.
Even when a driver receives criminal charges from an accident, the family may file a separate civil lawsuit if the driver is at fault. The two cases are independent of one another, so whether the criminal court convicts the driver or not, the civil court may still issue a judgment for the victim’s family. In some cases, a completed accident report can aid in proving liability of the at-fault driver.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “Driver arrested in Norwalk fatal crash“, Jessie Sawyer, October 25, 2014
