One man injured, another killed in Pennsylvania car accident

States across the nation are cracking down on drunk driving and trying to spread awareness of just how dangerous it can be. Unfortunately, though, too many people remain unaware of the dangers or simply feel that tragedy can’t strike them when driving while intoxicated. One Pennsylvania college student may be learning a painful lesson on the dangers of drunk driving after a car accident which killed one of his friends and seriously injured another.

The crash took place near their southeastern Pennsylvania campus after the young men decided to go grab something to eat. The driver believed to be responsible for the accident was said to have been drinking earlier. He borrowed a car, and the other two friends came along for the ride.

That ride turned to tragedy, however, when the driver reportedly reached speeds higher than 80 miles per hour. The car slammed into a tree, killing one of the men upon impact. The other suffered significant injuries, ultimately losing one of his feet and the other leg below the knee. He also suffered a traumatic brain injury, two collapsed lungs and severe burns covering over 50 percent of his body.

Authorities have charged the driver with vehicular homicide and drunk driving, in addition to other charges. The young man who was seriously injured faces significant medical bills, not to mention expenses associated with rehabilitation due to the loss of his limbs. The family of the man who died may also suffer financial loss related to the man’s death.

It is for reasons such as these that Pennsylvania law allows injured parties and the survivors of slain accident victims to seek financial recovery from allegedly responsible drivers when it can be shown that the person bears liability for the accident.

Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Lincoln U. student charged in crash that killed 1,” Sept. 27, 2012