When people make the choice to drive while intoxicated, they may assume they are only affecting their own life, but that is not true. If an intoxicated driver hits and kills someone, it can change an entire family’s life in an instant. When the poor choices of someone else are the cause of such a loss, it can be difficult to know how to seek justice, but filing a wrongful death claim may be a way to do just that. This is what one New Jersey family could do after a hit-and-run crash took the life of a 19-year-old. The man accused recently received his criminal sentence for the incident.
Just last year, police say that the young man was stopped in his car at a red light on an exit ramp. He was rear-ended by a pickup truck driven by the now-convicted. Police say that the man fled the scene but was taken into custody fairly quickly after the crash. Authorities say that he was speeding and had consumed alcohol before the crash.
The man pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crash. The prosecutor lamented that the young man who died was robbed of a chance to live. The attorney hopes that others will use this tragedy as a reason to think twice before drinking and driving.
There is no reason for anyone to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol. It could end up costing someone else his or her life. Filing a wrongful death claim may be an effective way for a family to hold a responsible person accountable. Those here in New Jersey who want more information on how to do that may want to speak with a personal injury attorney who can advise them on the best way to proceed.