There are some people who are simply risk takers. They are willing to take any conceivable risk without regard to their own personal safety. Unfortunately, when these actions put the safety of others at risk, there is a problem. Oftentimes, the criminal justice system will dole out justice to those who have endangered others through their behavior. In one case in Connecticut, a woman was recently sentenced to prison for her involvement in a fatal car accident.

The accident occurred in 2011. Officials claim that a 28-year-old woman was travelling around 100 mph when the accident occurred. Additionally, she was accused of driving while intoxicated.

The woman crashed into a sports utility vehicle, causing it to roll multiple times. A passenger in the SUV, a 45-year-old woman, was killed. The driver survived but required several facial surgeries as part of his recovery. Recently, the younger woman was sentenced to six years in jail for manslaughter and driving under the influence. According to reports, she apologized to the family of the deceased woman and the injured man as part of the sentencing procedures.

The criminal justice system has fulfilled its responsibilities to the victims in this case; however, the survivor and the family of the deceased woman will still have financial stresses they will have to deal with as a result of the fatal car accident. The survivor will have medical bills due to his multiple surgeries as well as lost wages as he recovered from his injuries and treatments. The family of the deceased woman will have to cope with funeral expenses and potentially lost wages. The Connecticut civil court system can help with these. If it can be proved that the driver’s negligence caused the accident, which her prison sentence seems to support, they could receive financial compensation if the court so orders it.

Source: The Norwich Bulletin, Massachusetts woman gets prison for fatal Connecticut crash, No author, Aug. 23, 2013