Most people are aware of their mortality. However, that cognitive awareness is different from fully understanding the reality. In some cases, a simple act that a person has performed hundreds of times in his or her life can ultimately lead to an unexpected death. For example, many people are killed in car accidents as they travel a route that they have traveled many times previously. Unfortunately, one woman in Hawaii was killed after she opened a gate.
The woman was killed in a car accident in a private driveway in late August. The 79-year-old victim was apparently opening a gate on a driveway for another person who was picking her up in a sedan. Unfortunately, the 74-year-old driver accidentally accelerated, causing the vehicle to strike the gate. The car continued over a retaining wall and struck a house.
The older woman was struck by the gate and thrown to the ground. She suffered injuries to her head as well as internal injuries and later died. The driver of the sedan was not injured in the accident.
The family of the deceased woman is likely in shock after hearing the news of her death in what was likely a completely preventable accident. They may also be struggling with the financial ramifications of the accident, including medical costs and funeral expenses. Many victims of car accidents, or their loved ones in the case of a fatality, have sought compensation for expenses stemming from another’s negligence in a Hawaii civil court. Some who have been able to successfully prove negligence have been awarded monetary damages to help them handle the financial burden.
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Woman who died after car hits gate in Aiea identified”, , Sept. 2, 2014