Local newspaper reveals marijuana involved in fatal crash

A local newspaper has revealed that marijuana was involved in a fatal car accident involving four New Jersey teens after football practice. The accident occurred last summer at the end of the season when the players were heading to a breakfast gathering following the final practice of the season.

Toxicology test results obtained by reporters showed that three of the fourth boys had some amount of THC, the active chemical in marijuana, in their system. Experts said that the levels found in their systems likely caused mental impairment that could have interfered with driving. Many different factors can influence how impaired a given individual is, including their weight, the frequency that they use marijuana, and how long ago they ingested it.

The families of the victims previously filed personal injury claims against the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and other local entities for unsafe conditions on the roadway where the crash occurred. It is not clear yet if these toxicology results will affect those claims.

Reports also indicate that police may have found marijuana in the vehicle, although conclusive information on that issue will not be released.

Injuries and wrongful deaths caused by negligent maintenance of a public roadway could lead to liability for the entities responsible for keeping the road safe. However, intoxication on the part of the driver of the vehicle could result in a determination that one or more of the victims were contributorily negligent, which may impact their families ability to recover.

More information about the rights of car accident victims is available on our New Jersey personal injury law firm website.

Source: The Associated Press, “3 N.J. football players killed in Parkway crash tested positive for marijuana chemicals, report says,” August 30, 2012.