On October 20, a female pedestrian in New Orleans was killed in the French Quarter as a result of an accident caused by a suspected drunk driver. The woman died after a balcony pole fell on her, authorities reported.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the fatal car crash occurred on Burgundy Street at around 5:20 a.m., when a 37-year-old Gentilly man crashed into a balcony support pole with his 1993 Nissan Maxima. Police said that the man had been impaired and veered off the road as he traveled east on Burgundy Street. Reportedly, the man tried to flee the scene of the crash to no avail, as his car stalled and bystanders detained him until police arrived.
The pedestrian, a 21-year-old woman from Baker, suffered fatal head trauma in the incident. Officials declared her dead at the scene. Police detained the 37-year-old driver and charged him with vehicular homicide. Reportedly, police officers noted that the man smelled strongly of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and exhibited poor balance. His blood alcohol content level purportedly measured at .214 percent following the crash. The legal limit for drivers in Louisiana is .08 percent.
In a case like this, a personal injury lawyer might advise the family of the decedent to file a wrongful death claim. Hypothetically, if such civil action were to be successfully pursued, then certain family members of the deceased accident victim might receive financial restitution for the losses they suffered on account of the deadly event. In order to prevail in such a suit, an attorney representing the bereaved family may utilize information and evidence from the police investigation that substantiates the wrongful death claim.
Source: The Times-Picayune, “French Quarter driver arrested in woman’s death had blood-alcohol level 2.5 times legal limit, NOPD says,”Ken Daley, Oct. 20, 2014
Source: NOLA.com, “Woman killed by accused drunk driver in French Quarter identified“, Naomi Martin, October 20, 2014
