When we send our children off to school-sanctioned events we do so with a bit of trepidation but also a certain level of trust. After all, doing so is a necessary evil for parents as our children age and inevitably make their way into the world on their own. But what happens when our worst fears are confirmed and our children never make it back home following such an event?
The grief-stricken family of one teenager who was fatally injured in what appears to be a single-vehicle wreck on Route 49 in Maurice Township, are left with questions about how trusting the system failed them. In the early hours of the morning after the Friday night Bridgeton High School prom, four teenagers were driving down the stretch of road when for reasons not yet known, the PT Cruiser driven by a fellow teenager swerved suddenly and collided with a tree. The impact left the driver and another teenager dead while two other passengers were taken to the hospital. One child is in critical condition and the other remains stable.
Accidents such as this are senseless. When all of the evidence is made known about that fateful night, there may be cause for several families to seek recourse. The medical bills are mounting for the surviving children and the funeral expenses are staggering for those that did not. Some degree of rehabilitation is likely and counseling would not be unexpected. All of this equates to unplanned monetary hardships.
Things a New Jersey wrongful death and accident attorney might look at are whether or not the school somehow allowed for, or turned a blind eye, to dangerous possibilities like alcohol being brought in or spiked in the refreshments. How was the lighting on that particular stretch of Route 49? Was the road in disrepair? Did the children go somewhere after the prom? Right now there can only be speculation as to the cause but hopefully, time will provide answers and some closure.
Source: abc7ny.com, “PARENTS OF NEW JERSEY STUDENT KILLED IN PROM CRASH: ‘WE LOST OUR LIGHT’,” May 17, 2016.