Vehicle crash in Greenville County claims life of passenger
Pickup trucks are designed for hauling larger items that will not fit inside passenger cars. Also, many pickups do not have backseats, so carrying more than one passenger can be a challenge. As such, some people choose to ride in the bed of a pickup truck instead of the cab. While convenient, it is not a very safe way to travel as made evident in a recent crash in South Carolina that claimed the life of a passenger.
Accident details
According to reports, a person who remained unidentified was riding as a passenger in the bed of a pickup truck. The truck was being driven by a 17-year-old, and there was another passenger in the cab of the truck along with the driver. Sometime around 7:18 the evening of Wed. Nov. 24, the driver of the pickup ran a stop sign at an intersection in Greenville County. That was when the pickup was struck by another vehicle going through the intersection.
The person who riding in the bed of the pickup was thrown from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries at the scene. Both the driver of the other vehicle and the other passenger in the pickup were injured in the crash. No mention was given as to whether the pickup driver was injured, but authorities charged the pickup driver with disregarding a stop sign.
Legal recourse
Both the other injured motorist and the injured pickup truck passenger each retain the right to pursue personal injury claims in South Carolina against the alleged at-fault pickup truck driver in an attempt to recover damages sustained in the crash. Likewise, the surviving family of the deceased can bring a wrongful death suit against the pickup truck driver to pursue recovery of monetary damages, including funeral costs and other documented losses. To increase their chances for a successful outcome, the plaintiffs and their legal counsel may offer evidence from the related criminal proceeding in support of their civil claims against the driver and owner of the vehicle involved for negligent and reckless driving on the part of the pickup driver.