Woman dies in morning Illinois crash

Woman dies in morning Illinois crash

Illinois State Police continue an investigation into an Edwardsville accident that resulted in the death of one woman. The crash happened on South Plum Street just before 7 a.m. on May 5.

According to a preliminary investigation, which included a reconstruction of the scene, a 23-year-old man was heading south on Plum Street in a Ford Explorer when he crossed into the path of a Chrysler minivan under the operation of a 50-year-old woman. The vehicles collided head-on. While a Nissan Alero was also involved in the crash, neither occupant was injured.

The female minivan driver died at the scene despite wearing her seat belt and the successful deployment of the vehicle’s airbags. The SUV driver suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and was hospitalized. Authorities discovered that he had an outstanding warrant for battery. Due to his treatment, the man’s court date for this charge has been rescheduled.

the surviving spouse and next of kin of the minivan driver could file a wrongful death claim against the SUV driver if he is deemed responsible for the accident. A jury may decide the amount of compensation that the family is awarded. The court distributes the compensation among the survivors based on the percentage that each person depended upon the woman.

If the spouse and next of kin of the woman are granted a monetary settlement, it could pay for the cost of a funeral and burial. It may also allow the survivors to secure compensation for the mental suffering, sorrow and grief that they have experienced as a result of her death.

Source: Illinois General Assembly, ‘Wrongful Death Act”

Source: KSDK, “Fatal Edwardsville accident victim identified“, Brandie Piper, May 05, 2014