Late this past weekend, a serious accident took the life of a motorcycle rider in Marrero. It was early in the evening when the crash occurred on Saturday. Details were limited in the Bayou Buzz report, but what was clear is that it involved a box truck and the motorcycle, and the truck driver wasn’t on scene when deputies arrived.
Spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Col. John Fortunato reported that when the two vehicles collided, the motorcycle caught on fire. Witnesses said that the driver of the box truck exited his vehicle, took a good look at the motorcycle victim and then fled from the scene.
Officers were eventually able to determine the identity of the truck driver. When they tracked him down, the driver of the box truck was taken into custody at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Col. Fortunato reported that he now faces criminal counts related to the accident, including negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and failure to yield.
After a serious hit-and-run accident such as this one, law enforcement may become involved in more than accident reconstruction. Although an individual may face criminal charges, this does not prevent victims from seeking separate legal relief in a civil court of law.
Not only can a negligent truck driver be named as a defendant in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, but in cases in which a company truck was involved, the company may be named as well. A New Orleans attorney can help victims and their families after an accident such as this one.
Source: Bayou Buzz, “Motorcyclist killed in hit-and-run,” March 15, 2014
