Distracted driver who caused fatal accident faces five years

As many Maryland residents know, when an accident occurs between two cars, the damage can be extensive. Most times, the drivers and passengers are able to walk away. However, when an accident occurs between a distracted driver and a bicyclist, the outcome can have dire consequences.

A woman was recently sentenced to a five year jail sentence in regards to the role she played in a fatal accident involving a bicyclist. The accident occurred in late January of this year in Hagerstown, Washington County. The 24-year-old woman had been texting while she was driving, according to prosecutors. When she looked away from the road, the crash occurred.

The woman was heading home after she had visited a drug dealer, from whom she had purchased synthetic marijuana. According to investigators, she had smoked the illegal substance prior to driving. When the crash occurred, she fled the scene of the accident without stopping.

When a family loses someone in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, they may file a wrongful death claim. If a conviction is secured on a charge related to the fatal accident, it might be used as evidence in this claim. The conviction could also help establish negligence on the part of the driver. If a Maryland court determines that the woman was negligent and caused the fatal injuries suffered by the bicyclist, then damages may be awarded to decedent’s family and estate. Surviving family members typically begin this process by consulting an experienced personal injury attorney.

Source: heraldmailmedia.com, “Texting Hagerstown woman gets five years in fatal hit-and-run“, CJ Lovelace, Aug. 24, 2015