Fatal accident takes life of Louisiana man

A man who escaped serious injury in a car accident was struck and killed by another vehicle as he attempted to cross the road. According to Louisiana police, the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident started when the driver of the vehicle the man was riding in lost control and crashed into a ditch at around 2 a.m. After the accident occurred, the occupants were able to extract themselves from the car and cross the highway so they could call for assistance.

However, after the three individuals crossed the road, the man attempted to cross the road again to obtain something from the vehicle. As he did so, he was struck by another vehicle. The man was transported to a local hospital and was pronounced dead less than five hours later.

Meanwhile, police charged the driver of the vehicle that struck the man with DWI. The man was taken into custody and processed on the charge. No further information has been released by police regarding the status of the criminal case.

It remains unclear at this time what the ultimate cause of this fatal accident was. In order for this matter to be clarified, Louisiana investigators will likely conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision. When all the facts are gathered and considered, investigators may be able to pinpoint the cause of the fatal collision in the official report of the accident. That information may be helpful to the family of the victim in assessing the viability of a wrongful death lawsuit. In preparation for making such a decision, the family may benefit from seeking advice as to what evidence they will need to show in order to prove that their loss was the result of negligence by another party, as well as to consider what claims for monetary damages may be appropriate under state law.

Source: FOX 8, “Pedestrian killed after surviving car wreck,” Aug. 6, 2012