People go camping in order to commune with nature and forget about the trappings of our technologically enhanced world. The last thing many people would expect during a camping trip is a car accident. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened recently at a Virginia campground when an out-of-control vehicle careened through a campsite and into Pound River.
Sadly, two women were sitting in chairs around a fire pit at that campsite when the vehicle plowed through their campsite. The women were violently knocked from their lawn chairs before the Jeep continued on to slam into a railing and careened into the river. Several witnesses dove into the river and were able to bring the driver to shore.
One of the women struck by the Jeep suffered fatal injuries at the scene. The other woman escaped with only minor injuries for which she was treated at an area hospital and released. The driver of the Jeep suffered injuries reported to be life threatening. At last report, she was taken to an area hospital via helicopter.
Witnesses reported to authorities that as the driver of the Jeep arrived at her campsite, the accelerator in the Jeep was stuck, which caused the accident. The Virginia State Police are still investigating the crash and requested that an accident reconstruction team be brought to the scene. It is unclear at this time whether any charges will be filed.
In the meantime, the family of the deceased woman may file a wrongful death claim against the driver of the Jeep. If it turns out that the accelerator was stuck, and that mechanical failure led to the accident, other parties may be joined as defendants in the lawsuit. In addition, the driver of the Jeep may also have a cause of action for personal injuries if the vehicle was defective in some way.
Source: wvva.com, “Woman killed in bizarre campground accident”, Paul Hess, July 11, 2014