Not all car accidents are accidental

Even when a crash is deemed preventable due to the actions of the at-fault driver, it does not mean the driver’s actions were intentional. Ohio residents may get drunk and then drive, but that does not mean they intended to get into accidents — it simply means that the driver recklessly increased the risk of one through his or her actions. On the other hand, there are times when car accidents are not accidental.Back in March, an intoxicated woman got behind the wheel of her car in spite of pleas from people inside the bar for her not to drive. The 21-year-old woman ended up driving the wrong way on Interstate 75. What happened next may remain in the memories of witnesses forever.The woman actually increased her speed as she approached a vehicle, and the unsuspecting family in that car were killed. Apparently, the intoxicated woman told people she wanted to cause a crash. Authorities argue the woman knew what she was doing and did so deliberately. She now faces six counts of murder even though three people died that night, which means she faces two murder charges for each of the victims. This is because prosecutors have used two different legal theories in the charging documents.Regardless of her intent, authorities say the woman responsible for the tragedy took the lives of the family in the vehicle struck by her car. If Ohio prosecutors secure convictions on the charges related to the crash, surviving family members may use that information in civil court to prove this woman’s actions led to the deaths of their loved ones. Just as is the case in other legal actions resulting from car accidents, proving negligence, recklessness or intentional wrongdoing could lead to a monetary award could help with the inevitable financial losses incurred in tragedies such as this one.