An accident that occurred at about 2:15 p.m on Aug. 10 at the Hawthorne Farmers Market left one person dead and two people injured. Reports indicate that a pickup truck crashed into the market and dragged the deceased woman four blocks before the truck finally came to a stop.
The driver was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center because officials said he was visibly upset after the accident while the two people injured at the scene were also taken to St. Joseph’s and were released. Police say that there was no evidence to indicate that the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident; however, the man was being tested for drugs and alcohol according to a statement from the mayor. He has been charged with vehicular homicide.
The Chief of Police said that in the five years of running the farmer’s market, no one had been injured and no major medical emergencies had been reported. The mayor noted that the scene could have been much worse if the accident hadn’t taken place 15 minutes after the market closed when only a few stragglers and vendors remained at the market.
Regardless of whether a driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of a crash, it may still be possible for a family to file a wrongful death suit against the driver who caused a fatal auto accident. A personal injury attorney may be able to negotiate a settlement in the case to resolve it as quickly as possible while obtaining a favorable outcome for the victim’s family. The terms of a settlement may include compensation for the victim’s final expenses and compensation for any dependents left behind.
Source: NorthJersey.com, “Hawthorne woman killed, 2 injured after pickup careens into farmers market “, Andrew Wyrich, Minjae Park and Jim Norman, August 10, 2014