A 31-year-old man from Wisconsin was sentenced to 10 years in prison after striking a plea deal on charges arising from a fatal hit-and-run car accident. The 71-year-old driver of the vehicle he struck was injured in the crash and died two weeks later. The sentence handed down in the plea deal includes 10 years of extended supervision after the convicted man gets out of prison. He apologized to the family of the victim at his sentencing.
The accident happened in May near Bangor when the 31-year-old crossed the center line in the road and struck a vehicle driven by an elderly man. Authorities say the hit-and-run driver left the accident scene, but turned himself in weeks later.
Prosecutors maintain that the defendant who was on probation at the time of the accident fled the scene because he had taken methamphetamines the day before the crash and wanted to avoid a drug charge. The defendant denies this claim.
The losses suffered after a loved one is killed in a fatal car crash can be immeasurable when the sudden shock of the death and lost companionship are taken into account. However, formulas exist to tabulate the unbudgeted costs and expenses families incur immediately following the accident and the losses they will suffer going forward. These can include hospital and medical expenses and funeral and burial costs directly related to the event.
Other categories of losses families may wish to pursue through a wrongful death claim include fair and adequate for their pain and suffering and for the support the deceased family member would have provided. These families might benefit from the assistance of an attorney with experience handling motor vehicle wrongful death cases.
Source: WTAQ, “Holmen man gets 10 years in prison for fatal hit-run crash”, November 12, 2013
