Tailgating parties tend to be big events in New Haven, CT. People love to gather in parking lots before sporting events or concerts to grill and talk about the upcoming game or show. They tend to be giant parties where everyone can kick back and have a good time.
Unfortunately for one woman attending a tailgating party in 2011, this was not the case. She was killed in a car accident when a man driving a rented moving van carrying kegs of beer collided with her and two other women. The man’s lawyer said that the man was stopped in a parking lot waiting for pedestrians to pass so he could proceed. Evidently he got a little impatient and attempted to rev his engines in an attempt to tell the pedestrians to move out of his way. Instead, his vehicle rocketed forward and hit the three women.
The man was charged with unsafe starting and traveling too fast. He plead guilty to both charges, but recently was put on a type of probation that will allow him to not have any criminal charges appear on his record.
The light penalties this driver faced after this horrific accident may not sit too well with the woman’s family. A lawsuit was filed against the driver along with three other defendants by her estate claiming that the woman’s death was caused by their negligence.
Even though the criminal courts may have let them down, hopefully the woman’s family will be able to receive a sense of justice from this civil lawsuit. Just knowing that the man responsible for their loved one’s death is held accountable may enable the family to start on the path toward healing.
