A northbound drive on a Hawaii highway resulted in a horrific tragedy on a recent Saturday morning. Reckless drivers are often accused of speeding, and that seems to be the case in this accident. The crash resulted in the deaths of three young adults while several others suffered injuries requiring medical care.
Police who responded to the scene reported that it appeared a pickup truck heading north on the highway was struck by a vehicle traveling in a lane headed south. The southbound sport utility vehicle burst into flames due to the force of the collision. An 18-year-old and two other teens, both 17, died at the site of the accident.
Others were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries and were listed in stable conditions. Investigators have been mobilized and are approaching the incident as multiple negligent homicides. Authorities await results of a toxicology report. Those results will have bearing on any potential criminal charges that are filed. Police officers have already stated that they believe excessive speed was a significant factor in the tragedy.
Reckless drivers place themselves and all others who share the road at risk. The law in Hawaii allows those who are injured due to the negligent or intentional acts of another driver to pursue a personal injury claim in a civil court. In addition, surviving family members of someone who has died unexpectedly under such circumstances retain the right to seek legal consultation with regard to options available to them for pursuing financial relief for their losses.
Source: staradvertiser.com, “Police ID 3 teens killed in fiery crash in Kailua-Kona”, Feb. 19, 2015