Guilford man to blame for fatal car accident

What many New Haven residents often take for granted is getting in the car with someone. Whether it is a family member, friend or new acquaintance, passengers trust their lives to another’s hands when it comes to driving. However, every day at least 3,500 people are killed from traffic related incidents. 90 percent of those incidents are caused by human error. Car accidents continue to plague Connecticut. In a recent collision, a 25-year-old Guilford man may have been to blame for the car accident that killed an innocent woman.

The accident occurred after four friends got into a car with the 25-year-old behind the wheel. The group of friends had spent the night at a local bar. After reports of the driver allegedly speeding out of control, the car crashed into an embankment. Police arrived to the scene to discover three of the friends, including the driver, had escaped the car but a fourth friend was stuck in the passenger side of the vehicle.

The 23-year-old passenger was freed from the car by firefighters and taken to a hospital where she later died. Upon investigation, police discovered that the 25-year-old driver had a blood alcohol content of .138, well beyond Connecticut’s legal limit of .08. He was charged with numerous offenses including reckless driving, manslaughter and drunk driving.

Anytime someone is killed in a fatal motor vehicle accident, victims have the right to know who should have to pay compensation. When a driver commits a negligent act behind the wheel such as drunk driving or speeding, he or she is jeopardizing the safety of his or her passengers and other drivers. Oftentimes the negligent driver is responsible for the injuries or deaths that he or she causes.

It is important for both drivers and passengers to be aware of the dangers of negligent driving, especially when that negligent driving also involves alcohol. Any New Haven residents that have been injured from a negligent driver may be eligible for compensation for their damages.

Source: Guilford Patch, “Guilford man arraigned for fatal car crash,” Lauren Lanzon, April 25, 2013