Fatal Pennsylvania motorcycle crash leaves all parties grieving

by | Sep 15, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents |

The family of one Pennsylvania man has been grieving his death for the past month after his motorcycle crashed into a car with a reportedly drunk driver behind the wheel. At the intersection of Route 114 and Interstate 81, a woman with a blood-alcohol content of nearly three times the legal limit did not yield to oncoming traffic and turned left across the other lanes, causing the approaching motorcycle to crash into her passenger side, according to police. He was thrown from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

This week, the defendant has decided to forego her right to a preliminary hearing and will go before the county court later this year. The case is still under investigation as her lawyer has explained that the alcohol in her system has not yet been confirmed as the overruling cause of the accident. The defendant’s counsel also states that she is “remorseful” and will “accept full responsibility” if convicted.

The charges against the driver of the car include homicide by vehicle, DUI and involuntary manslaughter. In this case, it appears that the defendant is compliant, as regardless of the results of the investigation, police recorded her blood-alcohol level at .267, more than three times the legal driving limit. These kinds of accidents can spark very intense emotions and it looks to be that it may not just be the family grieving this man’s death.

The family of the motorcyclist could seek damages regardless of how the county court rules as the two are not dependent on each other. Until the investigations are complete and the formal arraignment is held in December, his family must patiently await answers; however, they needn’t wait until then to file a civil suit of their own. While it can’t take the place of their family member, it can provide some financial compensation and eventually maybe even healing.

Source: abcnews.com, “Shermans Dale woman waives hearing in drunk-driving crash,” Myles Snyder, Sept. 11, 2012

  • Our law firm handles cases similar to the one described in this post. To learn more about our practice, please visit our Harrisburg motorcycle accident page.

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