New York police investigated a fatal accident that took place outside of a church carnival in Yonkers. When a Jeep suddenly sped out of a parking lot, the vehicle collided with two parked cars, three occupied cars and four pedestrians. The accident killed a teenage girl and critically injured her sister. Two other teens who were involved in the car accident received minor injuries.
At the time of the report, the 55-year-old driver who hit the group of teenagers had not been charged. In a public statement, the parents of the deceased girl said that they believe that the tragedy was a freak accident, and the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Prior to the fatal collision, the driver at fault had been a sixth grade teacher for nine years with a clean driving record.
St. Barnubus High School, where the victim had been a student, created a shrine in her honor. While gathering to pray, classmates decorated the shrine with flowers and notes that they wrote about their friend. The shrine was constructed in the same chapel where students had recently prayed for another student who was killed.
Although the parents of the deceased teen may not harbor resentment towards the driver at fault, they may still choose to seek compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. If the driver had insurance coverage, a lawyer may be able to help the family to negotiate a settlement. These funds could be used to cover the girl’s funeral expenses and the medical expenses of her sister.
Source: CBS News, “Driver prays for teen killed in church carnival crash“, Lee Higgins and Shawn Cohen, October 15, 2013
