A group of four people returning from their 20-year high school reunion met with tragedy on a Montana highway recently. One was killed and the other three suffered injuries in an accident that may have been caused by drunk driving.
The auto accident happened near Montana City, on I-15. A southbound Toyota pickup driven by a 22-year-old man went out of control, rolled over and crossed into the northbound lanes, where it came to a stop. A northbound vehicle with the four people coming from the reunion smashed into the pickup. One of the occupants of the northbound vehicle, a 38-year-old man, was killed. The other three were injured. It is not clear from a news report of the accident whether the deceased victim was a driver or passenger in the northbound vehicle.
A Montana Highway Patrol trooper who is working on the accident investigation says alcohol played a part in causing the accident, and noted that it was a factor in both vehicles. At the time of the news report the driver of the pickup had not been charged with any offense.
When a person is killed or injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, the injured victims or the family of a deceased victim have the right to recover damages in a civil lawsuit. Even if the victim was driving drunk themselves, they may still be able to recover if they did not cause the accident, or if their negligence was less than that of the other driver.
Source: Beartoothnbc.com, “Cal Mullen Identified as Driver of Pickup in Fatal Accident,” Matt Witkos, June 17, 2014
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