Passenger Killed When Chicago Driver Hits Parked Cars In Austin

Parents who drive young children around must constantly resist the urge to take their attention off of the roadway to attend to their kids who are sitting in car seats behind them (especially if the children are crying or acting up). These drivers know that if they get distracted for even a moment of two, they could get involved in an auto accident which could endanger the health of their kids.

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But this advice also applies to drivers who have adult back seat passengers. Unfortunately, one man didn't handle such a situation properly this weekend in Chicago - and as a result, his passenger lost his life.

Early Saturday morning, a 24-year old man was driving a car in the city's Austin neighborhood on North Laramie Avenue near North Avenue. A 34-year old man who was in the back seat began to vomit and hung his head out of an open window. The driver turned to look at his passenger - and in the process lost control of his car. The vehicle sideswiped a couple of parked cars on the street while the passenger was hanging out of the window.

The 34-year old suffered blunt force trauma to his head and died about an hour later due to cervical spine injuries. The driver was cited for a number of moving violations as well as driving under the influence.

If they so choose, the surviving family members of the victim could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the 24-year old Chicago man. This type of lawsuit could allow the family to collect reimbursement for burial expenses, lost future wages, and damages for mental anguish. If the driver was indeed intoxicated, a jury could possibly order punitive damages to be paid out to the plaintiffs as well.

This incident shows how a momentary lapse of concentration by a driver can be deadly for a passenger. But it didn't help that the driver's judgment was apparently impaired by alcohol.