Highland Springs High School Student Death in Car Crash in Henrico County

A Highland Springs High School student death in Henrico County raises concerns about juveniles being out on the road late at night.

Police said a 14-year-old student from Highland Springs High School was killed early Thursday in a single-vehicle crash on Darytown Road. Five other occupants of the vehicle, four of them juveniles, were injured in the crash.

The Highland Springs High School student death has shocked the school and raises questions about the hazards of teens being out late at night or in the early hours. Police responded to this crash at 4:09 a.m. in the 2900 block of Darbytown Road. Henrico County police said five other occupants, four of them juveniles, were injured.

The girl who was killed was a ninth-grader at Highland Springs High School according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The report said Henrico police officers found a vehicle off the roadway that had been occupied by one adult and five juveniles. The driver was not a student.

Virginia injury lawyer Jim Hurley talks about the rights of passengers after crashes

The Times-Dispatch reported the survivors were taken to VCU Medical Center. Their injuries were non-life-threatening.

Police said some of the injured juveniles were younger than high school age. No ages were immediately available for the teens in the vehicle. It’s also not clear where the car was traveling to or from.

Police are investigating whether speed or alcohol were factors in the tragic crash, the report stated. This is standard practice.

My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased after this tragic teen passenger death.

Highland Springs High School Student Death Highlights the Dangers of Young People in Cars

Car wrecks are the leading cause of teen deaths in the United States. When cars are overcrowded with teens late at night, factors like fatigue, distracted driving, poor visibility and alcohol and drugs may be involved in crashes.

According to the New York Times, about 5,500 teen drivers and passengers lose their lives every year and about 450,000 are injured. Of those who lose their lives, 63 percent are drivers and 37 percent are passengers.

Although distracted driving and alcohol are more significant factors among teen drivers, the single biggest cause of teen driving deaths is inexperience.

Every year teen passengers lose their lives in Virginia. In 2014, we noted the death of a teen passenger in Chesterfield, VA.

When passengers are killed in car wrecks, their loved ones may have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident. Passengers who are injured also have rights.

This is a complicated area of the law and you should seek the advice of an experienced Virginia automobile accident attorney. Call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (757) 333-3333.