For reasons police have not yet determined, a 16-year-old driver lost control of her Jeep SUV in Rockingham County, Virginia (VA), during the morning of August 31, 2012, and plowed into a group of pedestrians who were walking along the side of Nutmeg Court. The accident occurred in the Belmont subdivision just outside the town of Harrisonburg and near the intersection of Nutmeg and Westwind Drive.
A 17-month-old girl died from injuries suffered in the collision. Three other toddlers and two adults also required hospital treatment for injuries. The at-fault teen driver was not hurt but has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The Virginia Wrongful Death Attorneys’ Perspective
Any driver who leaves the roadway or runs onto a sidewalk poses a deadly risk to pedestrians. Regardless of why the teenager who caused the fatal accident in Rockingham County hit the children and their caregivers, the injuries and loss of life that resulted cannot be undone.
As Virginia personal injury and wrongful death attorneys who have helped many victims struck by vehicles while in crosswalks, on sidewalks and on road shoulders, we know that drivers have high legal duties to avoiding hitting people on foot. Whenever a driver fails to ensure the safety of pedestrians, he or she should be held accountable.
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