Two families are grieving in the wake of a horrific automobile accident in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The fatal accident took place in the early morning hours of a recent Friday. Police were called to the scene near the Platte River, and found that a pickup truck and a commercial semi had collided in the eastbound lanes of Highway 31
Upon early investigation, police believe that the pickup truck, driven by a 25-year-old man, was travelling on Highway 31 when the driver failed to stop at a posted stop sign. The vehicle then crashed into the side of the tractor-trailer, and went underneath that larger vehicle. The pickup truck was dragged approximately 300 feet before the driver of the semi was able to come to a stop.
The 19-year-old passenger in the pickup truck lost his life at the scene of the crash. Emergency responders worked for nearly three hours to extract the driver from the vehicle. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was also pronounced dead. The driver of the commercial truck was also transported for emergency medical care, and is expected to recover from his injuries.
The fatal accident remains under investigation. If and when Nebraska police are able to determine the cause of the crash, the families left behind may gain a measure of closure in the matter. However, if there is an indication that the driver displayed negligence that played a causal role in the incident, the family of the deceased passenger could elect to move forward with a wrongful death suit against the estate of the driver.
Source: KLKNTV.com, “UPDATE: Lincoln man among two killed in accident near Louisville“, Brittany Paris, May 9, 2014