DUI Charge After Crash Kills Passenger Devante Deshawn Harris on the Eastern Shore

Police say a driver has been charged with DUI after a crash in Accomack County on the Eastern Shore of Virginia that left a passenger dead.

I was saddened to read about this accident in a part of the Eastern Shore that I know very well. Virginia State Police say a 23-year-old man lost his life in the single-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 13 north of Tyler Lane in Accomack County.

Bill O’Mara of Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers talks about the rights of passengers in DUI crashes

State police say a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer with three passengers on board, spun off the road as it travelled north on Route 13 at a high speed. WAVY.com reported. The Mitsubishi then spun backwards into a culvert on a Route 13 median, ejecting one of the backseat passengers.

WAVY reported that the passenger who was ejected, 23-year-old Devante Deshawn Harris, of Parksley, was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Maryland with major injuries. Harris later died of his injuries. My deepest condolences go to his family.

The other two passengers were hury in the high speed crash. One of them sustained critical injuries and was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, according to media reports.

Police say all four people who were in the vehicle were not wearing seat belts and that alcohol was a factor. They charged a 23-year-old driver from Pungoteague, with involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence.

I am always saddened to read about accidents that happen in circumstances like these. In so many cases, passengers pay the price of reckless driving, speeding, distracted driving or driving under the influence. If you are a passenger you are not usually responsible for how the car you are in is being driven. Often you have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver or his or her insurance company. Some people get hung up because a driver is their friend or a family member. In situations like this you have to look out for your own health and wellbeing because nobody else will.

Likewise, if a passenger’s life is lost due to the reckless actions of a driver, the victim’s family can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.

Additional damages, or punitive damages, can be awarded in certain cases which involve a drunk driver. If you have lost a loved one or are a passenger who has been hurt due to the fault of a driver, call us today at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation. We work with many clients on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and have a client meeting location in Exmore.