Charges Filed After Death In Hit-And-Run Car Accident

Every so often, a motorist comes across something on the side of a Texas road that was not anticipated. Sadly, some passing motorists have the misfortune of finding the bodies of people who have been struck by vehicles and were left for dead by the responsible driver. Until that driver is found, the family of the victim in such a car accident will not be able to get any closure.

On a recent Thursday at approximately 11 a.m., a phone call was made to authorities that a body was found on the side of Farm-to-Market Road 2520. The victim was a 36-year-old man who died from injuries suffered in an apparent hit-and-run crash. The Texas Department of Public Safety, which is handling the investigation, determined that the victim had been there since the night before.

On Sunday, a 20-year-old woman turned herself into the San Benito Police Department. She now faces a second-degree felony charge of accident involving death. The investigation into this tragedy remains ongoing. No further information regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash was released.

The family of the victim might be able to use evidence gathered in the criminal case to help prove negligence in any wrongful death claim they file. The first order of business in any civil action filed in the aftermath of a car accident is to establish that the defendant or defendants were negligent. If the family successfully proves negligence to the court, it might consider making an award of damages allowable under Texas law, which could help the family with the financial impact caused by the death of their loved one in this accident.

Source: valleycentral.com, “Woman charged after fatal hit-and-run crash near San Benito“, Jan. 24, 2016