Covington, KY: Pedestrian Killed in Accident with Passenger Car on Interstate 71/75
Covington, KY -- A collision between a passenger car and a pedestrian claimed the life of an unidentified person in the area of Covington, KY Thursday, February 2, 2017.
Officials say the incident took place on Interstate 71/75 about 1 a.m.
It appears the victim was on foot on the northbound side of 71/75. The report claims Police received calls regarding the pedestrian, but when they arrived, the person was gone. Within ten minutes of their search police were again called, this time to a nearby Speedway. The pedestrian was allegedly struck, and was dragged for a couple mile before the driver stopped. It is reported the victim's leg was located on the road nearly 150 yards from the scene of the collision.
The victim and driver's identities had not been disclosed at the time of the report.
The cause of the incident is unknown.
More information may become available as the investigation concludes.
map of the area
Commentary
Really, what would it take for a person to not only strike a pedestrian with their car, but to drive up to two miles with the victim dangling from the windshield? That interstate isn't exactly right smack in the middle of the boondocks, so it's well-lit and well-traveled. It seems highly unlikely the vehicle was unable to see the pedestrian in the road. Even giving them the benefit of the doubt, how were they able to continue down the road for an extra two miles? Well, if I were to make an educated guess, I would say there's a good likelihood there was alcohol involved.
Now, I can's say for certain that's what happened here. It's going to take a thorough, subjective investigation to learn all the details. But, based upon the hundreds of drunk driving cases litigated by our firm and the time the accident took place, I can't say I would be left slack-jawed to learn alcohol played a role. Is there a chance the pedestrian left the driver unable to avoid a collision. Sure. But considering the time of the accident and the details in the early report, there's another possibility that deserves looking into.
It's 1 a.m., and as some may know, this is around the time most bars have locked up the doors, turned off the music, and sent their patrons on their way. And this is typically when the most alcohol related crashes occur. In fact, here in Texas, where a rash of drunk driving accidents have reached epidemic proportions, studies by the Texas Department of Transportation show that a large plurality of fatal alcohol related crashes occur between the hours of 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.
It's this immutable fact that prompted the Texas State legislature to adopt what is known as dram shop law. This law states that establishments that unlawfully serve alcohol to already intoxicated individuals may be held responsible if these people go on to harm themselves or others. This law gives victims and their families the chance to file claims against businesses that irresponsibly serve alcohol to intoxicated patrons.
To clarify, I'm not implying alcohol was definitely involved in this accident. Based upon the early report, no one can say for sure what occurred that evening. But, no matter the outcome, this accident needs to be more thoroughly investigated. No matter the outcome, families deserve to have their questions answered.
--Grossman Law Offices
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