According to local media reports, a Baltimore, Maryland grand jury has indicted a man and woman in a hit and run pedestrian accident that left two young people dead.
The Baltimore Sun reports that a man and woman from Anne Arundel County, Md., have been indicted in the deaths of two teenage girls. The teenagers were struck by an automobile while attempting to cross Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near I-395 in Baltimore City. A 28-year-old Maryland man has been charged with two counts each of automobile manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, as well as one count of driving under the influence of alcohol. A 26-year-old woman has been charged as an accessory after the fact.
Families may consult with Baltimore County accident injury lawyers when loved ones are injured or killed in auto or pedestrian accidents — including those cases that are tried in criminal court. In Maryland, civil lawsuits may follow car accident cases where criminal charges have been filed against the drivers and other parties. Suing for damages in the Maryland Civil Court System allows families who have been hurt to seek compensation from those held responsible. (See link to related Maryland accident attorney article below for more on how civil lawsuits apply to criminal cases in traffic accidents in Md.)
According to media reports in this case, it is unclear who was behind the wheel when this fatal car crash and pedestrian accident occurred in Baltimore, Md. Both individuals charged in this case reportedly had prior speeding offenses. Police reportedly stopped the auto in question after it fled the hit and run accident scene, when police noticed the vehicle was damaged. The teen pedestrians killed were reportedly friends and neighbors.
Speeding and driving under the influence are major causes of fatal motor vehicle accidents in Maryland. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2009, of the total 547 traffic crash deaths in Maryland — 162 were alcohol-related driving fatalities and 184 were speeding-related traffic fatalities. The combination of alcohol and speed is deadly on our Baltimore streets and surrounding highways. For 2009, there were 113 pedestrian accidents in Maryland.
The issue of hit and run traffic accidents has been studied by law enforcement and psychologists, to determine the reasons why people flee the scene of an accident. Maryland motor vehicle law requires drivers to remain at scene of traffic accidents resulting in bodily injury or death (2010 Maryland Code TRANSPORTATION, TITLE 20 – VEHICLE LAWS – ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT REPORTS, Section 20-102).
Related Maryland Injury Attorney article:
Baltimore, Maryland Auto Accident Liability : Civil Lawsuits vs. Criminal Cases
Sources:
Indictments for pair in Md. hit-and-run that killed two
Associated Press in The Washington Post Sept. 20, 2011
1 arrested, 1 indicted in hit-and-run that killed two teens
The Baltimore Sun Sept. 20, 2011
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