Connecticut drivers may wonder just how others end up heading the wrong way on an Interstate. During the day, sober and coherent drivers may have no trouble making sure they are not entering the highway in the wrong direction, but once the sun goes down, when people begin drinking or are otherwise unable to notice their location on the roadway, it becomes more possible than people realize. Under these circumstances, everyone is at risk of (literally) running into a wrong-way driver, and that driver’s negligence could result in a fatal auto accident.
Recently, emergency personnel responded to the scene of a crash on Interstate 91 here in Connecticut. Upon arrival, they discovered one driver, a 22-year-old man, deceased on the scene. The other driver, a 34-year-old man, initially survived the crash. Emergency responders transported him to a hospital in the area where he sadly passed away from the injuries he suffered in the accident.
The preliminary investigation determined that the younger driver was headed south in the northbound lanes of the highway. The unsuspecting older driver could not get out of the wrong-way driver’s path in time, which resulted in this devastating accident. The investigation at the scene kept that portion of the roadway closed for several hours. Even so, at last report, the investigation had not yet concluded.
While officials continue to document what happened, the family of the victim will begin to face significant financial losses in connection with this fatal auto accident. Connecticut law allows surviving families members in this situation to file wrongful death claims to pursue restitution for those losses. In addition, a successful claim could provide them with some closure and sense of justice they may not otherwise get since the wrong-way driver also perished.
