After a food truck driver ran a stop sign in Leesburg, Virginia (VA), an innocent mother of three lost her life. Her the kids and their grandmother wound up hospitalized with injuries ranging from serious to life-threatening. The fatal T-bone collision happened at the intersection of Watson Road and Evergreen Mills Road at around 4:30 pm on September 8, 2017.
According to news reports, the retired school bus that had been converted to a rolling diner hit the victims’ car broadside, pushed it against a guardrail and embankment, and ended up completely on top of the smaller vehicle. Rescue crews worked for three hours to free the trapped victims as paramedics provided what emergency medical aid they could.
The mother, taken from the car last, died at the scene. Hospital officials listed the 39-year-old woman’s teenage son and her own mother in critical condition the following day. Two younger daughters also remained hospitalized in stable condition.
Loudon County police announced their intention to charge the driver of the food truck, who also inflicted minor injuries on two juvenile passengers in the converted bus. The nature of those charges is not known, but a likely alleged offense will be failing to stop or yield right of way before entering a highway. Evergreen Mills Road is also VA State Route 621. Under section 46.2-821 of the Virginia Code
The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection on a highway controlled by a stop sign shall, immediately before entering such intersection, stop at a clearly marked stop line, or … stop at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway. Before proceeding, he shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
T-boning the car indicates that the food truck driver entered the intersection without waiting for the other vehicle to take its right of way. Such an act of negligence would give the grieving husband of the woman who lost her life strong grounds for filing wrongful death claims. Personal injury claims on behalf of his injured children would also be warranted, and the grandmother and parents of the other injured juveniles would be able to hold the food truck driver accountable for paying compensation and damages.
With so many people having legitimate insurance claims after this wreck in Leesburg, working with a caring and dedicated Virginia wrongful death attorney and personal injury lawyer to explore sources of coverage other than the at-fault driver’s automobile policy would help the victims.
EJL