Whenever a driver has to slow down or stop behind another car that is in the process of making a left turn, he or she may be concerned about the alertness of approaching drivers. Too many Missouri lives are lost in car accidents that are caused by drivers who fail to pay attention to what is going on ahead. One such a crash occurred in Laclede County on a recent Monday afternoon.

An accident report prepared by the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicates that the fatal crash happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. on North Missouri 5. Reportedly, a 34-year-old man from Eldridge was traveling along the highway when he had to stop behind a pickup truck that was making a left turn. While his car was stationary, a 16-year-old driver in an SUV smashed into the rear of it.

The impact of this collision caused the man’s car to collide with the pickup truck that was preparing to turn. The Eldridge man was killed in the crash, and the operators of the SUV and the pickup truck suffered minor injuries. Both were taken to a regional hospital for medical treatment.

For families to cope with such tragedies in car accidents that could clearly have been avoided is understandably devastating, and costly end-of-life arrangements must be made. Financial relief may be available, and it can be pursued by filing a wrongful death claim in a Missouri civil court. Negligence by another party will have to be established. In a case in which one driver is deemed responsible for a fatal crash, any registered owner of the vehicle can also be named as a defendant.

Source: lebanondailyrecord.com, “Eldridge man killed in a Missouri 5 wreck Monday afternoon”, Oct. 17, 2016