It does not matter whether drivers travel the roads here in New Hampshire or somewhere else — motor vehicle crashes happen everywhere, and some are deadly. One type of crash that often turns deadly is a head-on collision. The devastation of these accidents can change the course of many lives in mere seconds.
A recent crash that took place on New Hampshire Route 16 sadly illustrates this point. Preliminary reports indicate that a car veered into the oncoming lane of travel and slammed into a minivan head-on just after 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The road was closed for several hours as authorities conducted an investigation at the scene, which remained ongoing at last report.
Investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol contributed to this tragedy and are attempting to determine whether excessive speed played a role in the crash, and they will have to do so without statements from the two drivers, who were the only ones involved in the crash. The 53-year-old woman driving the car and the 74-year-old man driving the minivan both lost their lives in the crash. The woman died at the scene while the man died later at the hospital.
Since there will obviously be no criminal prosecution in this particular accident, surviving family members of the victim could exercise their right to file a wrongful death claim in civil court seeking restitution and justice for their loss. As is the case in other deadly head-on collisions, family members of a victim will need to prove that the other driver’s negligence or recklessness caused or contributed to the death of their loved one. Successfully doing so could result in an award of damages that could help with the need for closure and damages to help cover the inevitable financial losses incurred in the aftermath of motor vehicle accidents.
