A 70-year-old man died from injuries he suffered in a two-vehicle collision around 2 p.m. on Dec. 31. Police believe a drug-impaired female driver caused the fatal accident, according to reports.
Authorities say that a 51-year-old woman operating a southbound van on Country Road 20 in Seneca collided with a pickup truck heading east on Country Road 4 after the woman, approaching the intersection’s stop sign, allegedly did not yield the right of way to the other vehicle. When they responded to the scene, emergency personnel transported both drivers to Geneva General Hospital for treatment of their injuries. The van driver suffered minor injuries and was soon released; however, the truck driver succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Police took the van driver into custody on charges of driving while ability impaired by drugs.
Highway officials restricted traffic to the area in order to determine the cause of the crash. The roadway was later reopened to traffic around 4 p.m. When the report was issued, authorities were still working on the investigation and said that additional charges may be pending.
Whenever an individual who was injured or lost a loved one in an accident via a driver’s negligence wishes to file a claim for compensation, official documentation will likely be utilized as evidence in the case. Such documentation usually includes the official accident report by police, medical records, eyewitness statements and records of medical expenses that directly resulted from the crash. If the driver accused of negligence was charged in the incident, those charges might also serve to strengthen the case. Plaintiffs who prevail in personal injury or wrongful death claims are usually awarded monies to offset their financial liabilities stemming from the accident.