Pedestrian accident in Montgomery County kills Germantown girl

An auto accident may have many possible causes, including excessive speed, intoxication, distractedness or carelessness. A crash investigation is often required to determine the party or parties responsible for causing a car or pedestrian accident. That appears to be the case in an accident involving a 15-year-old Germantown girl who was hit by a car as she was walking to school late last month, according to Montgomery County Police.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Wisteria Drive and Germantown Road. The victim was a 10th grader at Seneca Valley High School. The driver, a 27-year-old man, was traveling north on Wisteria when he struck the girl, police said. He remained at the scene after the accident and spoke to police when they arrived. The collision reconstruction unit for Montgomery County is currently investigating the accident to determine what exactly happened.

A television news crew interviewed a family member of the victim near the scene shortly after the accident occurred. She said her daughter was a good student, liked taking pictures and making people laugh. Seneca Valley High School enlisted grief counselors for students who were traumatized by the victim’s death.

Anyone filing a wrongful death claim typically needs accident investigation reports, witness interviews and police reports to make their case. The compensation specified in the claim should include tangible factors such as medical expenses and funeral expenses. The terms in a wrongful death claim should also include compensation for intangible factors such as the loss of companionship and pain and suffering.

Source: NBC Washington, “Germantown Teen Fatally Struck In Car Accident,” Nov. 1, 2012