Last year, a 29-year-old Pennsylvania woman was being pursued by police. In her hasty and irresponsible choice to evade law enforcement, she swerved between opposing lanes of traffic. As a result, she crashed her car into another vehicle, killing the 25-year-old woman who was operating it.
Police would later find out that the 29-year-old was in possession of drugs and that she had been drinking prior to her brush with the law -- and the unfortunate accident that she caused.
This week, the woman pleaded guilty to her crimes, which included driving while intoxicated and third-degree murder. She will serve a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 10.
The conclusion of this case was rarely in doubt, given the woman's erratic behavior and her incredibly reckless choice to flee the police and endanger the lives of innocent people. However, every car accident (no matter how straightforward and obvious it may seem) will be investigated by the police, which can take many weeks. This is merely something to note should you get into a car accident. It can take some time for an official determination of your wreck to be released.
At the same time, if criminal activity is involved in your car accident, you can still pursue civil litigation against the at-fault party. Again, this can take some time, and there are complications that can arise between civil and criminal court -- so it is best for accident victims to consult a personal injury lawyer in such a case.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Woman gets 5 to 10 years in fatal traffic accident," Jan. 8, 2012
- Victims of car accidents can suffer traumatic injuries that change their lives, may it be temporarily or permanently. To learn more about what legal options a victim has in such a situation, please visit our Pittsburgh car accident page.
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