Man arrested for role in fatal New Jersey pedestrian accident
Police in Ocean County have arrested a man who is suspected of being involved in a December hit-and-run accident. He was apprehended at his attorney’s office in Jersey City, and is being held on $200,000 bail.
The 27-year-old was allegedly talking on his cell phone when he hit an 84-year-old man who was crossing a street near a 7-11 store in Toms River. The man later died at a local hospital. Authorities contend the defendant removed documents from the car that could have identified him, and had the damaged windshield replaced. He has since been charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and evidence tampering.
Accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles usually result in serious harm to the pedestrian. Due to the size and mass differential, as well as lack of protection, pedestrian victims often suffer debilitating, and sometimes fatal, injuries. This can mean a victim or his or her surviving family can incur huge medical expenses and lose the ability to earn an income, and he or she will likely have to cope with the pain and suffering caused by the injuries themselves. If a driver’s negligence was at fault, criminal charges might ensue, as in the above case.
Regardless of the outcome of any criminal case, however, someone injured in a pedestrian accident, or his or her surviving family in the event the accident was fatal, may be able to recover monetary damages from the party at fault. It is important to remember the evidentiary standard that must be met in a civil suit is lower than that needed to gain a conviction in a criminal trial. Therefore, a victim or a victim’s family may still receive compensation even if the other party involved is acquitted of, or never charged with, a crime. Because of this, everyone injured in a pedestrian accident, or their families, should carefully consider his or her legal options with regard to recovering compensation.
Source: The Republic, “NJ man arrested for hit-and-run accident that killed 84-year-old pedestrian,” Jan. 17, 2014
