California Man Will Face Civil and Criminal Cases Following Auto Accident
A majority of the time, a car accident is simply that—an accident. Usually, the responsible driver never meant to cause a crash and injure or kill anyone. Sometimes, though the driver did not intend to hurt anyone, he or she may have been acting recklessly when the accident occurred. Drivers have a duty to drive so as to keep others on the road reasonably safe, and dangerous behaviors such as texting, speeding, or driving under the influence can be seen as negligence, leading a driver to be held liable for the resulting injuries and losses of the victims. In rare cases, an accident occurs in which it appears that the driver actually intended to hurt people, due to truly egregious behavior. One such accident has made headlines recently in Southern California.
Venice Beach Accident Described as “Rampage”
When 38-year-old Nathan Campbell’s Dodge Avenger plowed onto the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a main tourist attraction with booths, vendors, and tourists on foot. Witnesses have given terrifying accounts of the accident including the following:
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The car hit an ATM, which “shattered” but did not slow the car down;
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The car hit a vendor’s tent as it entered the boardwalk;
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A woman went on to the car’s hood and rolled off the hood further down the boardwalk;
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More vendors were knocked down;
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Though the crowd parted to either side of the boardwalk, the car zig-zagged left to right, hitting people who had moved out of the way;
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The driver finally drove away, leaving the scene of the accident;
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When Campbell later turned himself in to police, they smelled alcohol, though he claimed he had had drinks after the accident, not before. It is uncertain whether he had been driving under the influence at the time of the accident.
Sixteen pedestrians were seriously injured in the accident, including one man who was hit in the knees by the front bumper of the car. A 32-year-old Italian woman who was on her honeymoon died from her injuries, surprisingly the only fatality in this accident.
Civil and Criminal Cases
The victims of the accident that suffered injury are expected to file personal injury lawsuits against Campbell. Furthermore, the surviving spouse of the deceased woman will likely file a wrongful death claim. Unfortunately, people who act this way rarely have sufficient assets or insurance to cover the claims. In those cases, the victims own insurance can come into play, if they have “uninsured motorist” coverage. UM coverage is part of every California car insurance policy, unless it is specifically declined in a written waiver. When a driver acts in a negligent or reckless manner, such as driving down a pedestrian walk, the victims deserve to be compensated for any injuries, property damage, financial losses, or pain and suffering they experienced.
In addition, based on the testimony of witnesses in a preliminary hearing, a judge has decided that Campbell will also face criminal charges for murder, 17 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, as well as several counts of leaving the scene of the accident.
Contact an Injury Attorney in San Francisco, CA
If you have been the victim of an accident, you are entitled to hold the person responsible fully accountable for any negligent, reckless, or criminal actions. If you have suffered injury, the experienced car accident attorneys at Callaway & Wolf can help you receive the compensation you deserve. Click here now to request a free consult with one of our top-rated injury attorneys.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
