How could a driver possibly face criminal charges related to a car accident when the accident took place while he wasn’t driving? The question sounds a bit like a riddle, doesn’t it?
Last week, an elderly husband and wife were walking in a parking lot when they were struck by a car. The Colorado couple suffered injuries, and the wife, 82, ultimately didn’t survive the crash. After the accident, officials couldn’t find the driver and, therefore, believed it was a hit-and-run case. Evidence reportedly proves otherwise.
According to a Denver news source, authorities looked at video recordings from the parking lot after they responded to the car accident. What they saw in the footage was surprising: There was apparently no driver in the car at the time of the collision.
Though there was no driver behind the wheel at the time of the crash, that doesn’t mean officials cannot move forward with criminal charges. They are able to connect the SUV that hit the couple to its owners and believe they will easily identify who was responsible for driving and parking the car in the lot that day.
The exact details behind why officials believe the car rolled and crashed into the couple are currently undisclosed. Sources suggest that it might have been an issue related to the driver not effectively and safely putting his or her car in park. That mistake could result in the driver being charged with something as serious as careless driving resulting in death.
A serious traffic violation conviction can have a big impact on a person, including driver’s license suspension, fines, jail or more. We will post an update when there is more news related to this unique case.
Source
ABC 7 News: “Update: Woman Killed By Driverless SUV In Mall Lot,” Deb Stanley, Aug. 24, 2011