Drivers operating vehicles while they are under the influence of alcohol have claimed too many lives in Wisconsin. Strangely, it is not uncommon for drivers who are intoxicated to walk away unscathed or with minor injuries while their victims in the other cars or their passengers lose their lives. In one such a fatal accident, a 38-year-old man from Hillsboro was killed.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s preliminary crash report indicates that the incident happened on a recent Friday night in the town of Arena. Shortly after 7 p.m., a woman from Muscoda was eastbound on U.S. 14 in a sedan when she veered across the center line into the lane of the westbound traffic. This put her vehicle directly into the path of a pickup truck heading west.
A head-on collision followed, causing the pickup truck driver to suffer fatal injuries. Reportedly, he died at the accident scene while the 53-year-old driver of the sedan was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries reported to have been minor. This was followed by her arrest for alleged impaired driving.
The surviving family members of the deceased victim of this accident may pursue financial relief through the Wisconsin justice system. They can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged intoxicated driver, and if negligence can be established, the court may enter a monetary judgment. All documented claims for financial and emotional losses will then be adjudicated for inclusion in the award. Along with a claim for the expenses related to end-of-life arrangements, other economic losses and emotional damages may form part of the claim.
Source: nbc15.com, “Muscoda woman arrested for OWI after fatal crash in Iowa County“, Oct. 14, 2017
