Roads in Michigan have seen more than their fair share of wrong-way accidents over the years. So far this year, one wrong-way accident occurred on Jan. 3 in St. Clair, and another happened around midnight on Feb. 4. The latest accident claimed the lives of two people, and now their surviving family members are likely still reeling from their losses.
Accident details
Just before the Feb. 4 accident occurred, which happened near Romulus, Romulus Police and the Michigan State Police had already received word of a wrong-way driver on I-275. Before they could intercept the driver, the motorist caused an accident with another vehicle. Both the driver of that vehicle and the driver of the wrong-way vehicle were killed in the collision.
No word was given as to the identities of the victims, but this is just the latest wrong-way accident to plague motorists in the state. The first one this year occurred on Jan. 3 on I-94 and claimed the life of a mother of four. From the years between 2011 and 2020, 61 fatal accidents occurred in Michigan that were caused by drivers driving the wrong way. The state has started testing a new alert system to warn drivers they are traveling in the wrong direction and notify authorities if the drivers do not correct course.
Legal options for victims
It’s never easy to lose a loved one in an accident, especially when the crash could have been prevented. Like the surviving family members of these two latest fatal wrong-way accidents in Michigan, those who lost loved ones in crashes caused by wrong-way drivers can pursue civil claims against the parties deemed at-fault. Even if the at-fault driver died in the crash, his or her estate can still be sued along with anyone else who has an ownership interest in the vehicle. Affected parties will want to work with an experienced personal injury attorney to increase their chances of obtaining a successful outcome.
