Woman charged in fatal car accident in Pennsylvania

A woman is being charged with a host of violations, including homicide by vehicle, after a fatal accident killed an aspiring singer, according to police. The woman was arrested by Pennsylvania authorities following the single-car accident that claimed the life of a 20-year-old woman who was a passenger in the vehicle. Several others in the car were also injured in the crash. 

According to the accident report, including a statement from the 18-year-old driver (who was 17 at the time), the group was returning on Aug. 2 from an audition for the popular show “American Idol.” At this point the driver moved the vehicle deliberately onto the rumble strip on Interstate 95 as a prank. When the vehicle in front of her began to slow, she attempted to swerve and lost control of the SUV. 

It has been suggested the woman was speeding at the time, which may have contributed to her loss of control. The vehicle rolled several times, ejecting three of the six passengers. All of them were transported to local hospitals for injuries, ranging from non life-threatening to severe. The woman who had been auditioning was later pronounced dead. The driver, who is being charged as a juvenile, is charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and a number of less-severe charges. 

Even though the woman is not being charged as an adult, there is a good chance she will face stiff consequences if the charges for her role in the fatal car accident are upheld in a Pennsylvania juvenile court. Separately, the family of the deceased woman as well as the injured parties who survived w ill be entitled to file wrongful death or personal injury suits against the driver. Anyone with an ownership interest in the vehicle involved could also be included as a defendant in a civil case. 

This blog entry was posted on behalf of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the firm or its attorneys. The information presented in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Source: northjersey.com, “Belleville driver charged in crash that killed aspiring American Idol singer from Bloomfield”, Roman J. Uschak, Dec. 30, 2015