Hit-and-run accident kills 1, search for driver continues

A Maryland car accident can happen in the blink of an eye. In one moment, a person’s life can change dramatically. A recent hit-and-run accident has left the authorities searching for the driver who allegedly caused the death of a good Samaritan.

The accident occurred on U.S. 15 in Thurmont on a recent late Tuesday night around 11 p.m., according to the Maryland State Police. A 21-year old man perished in the crash. Reportedly, the victim was a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and based in Thurmont.

According to the preliminary investigation, the man stopped on the side of the road during a heavy rainstorm in order to assist a motorist whose vehicle was disabled. He was standing close to the driver’s side of his vehicle when a tractor trailer or industrial pickup truck that was towing a car-hauling trailer left the roadway and struck him and his vehicle. The truck stopped around 100 yards north of the accident, only to leave about five minutes later.

Authorities in Maryland are still searching for the other driver, and the investigation regarding this hit-and-run accident is ongoing. Once the driver is located, criminal charges will likely follow. Separately, a wrongful death claim by the deceased victim’s surviving family may be pursued. The claim would typically be filed against the truck driver as well as his or her employer and any other registered owner of the vehicle involved. Successfully navigated, this type of claim can help the victim’s family with end-of-life expenses and other financial damages that were incurred as a result of the accident.

Source: your4state.com, “MSP is searching for driver after fatal hit and run on U.S. 15 in Thurmont”, Caitlin Francis, Sept. 30, 2015