A man was involved in a fatal crash in Tennessee recently. According to authorities, he was crossing a bridge and in an attempt to pass a slower vehicle, he drove his pickup truck across the center lane and into oncoming traffic, causing him to collide head-on with another vehicle. The three occupants traveling inside that vehicle, a Honda Civic, reportedly sustained injuries. According to reports, a third vehicle, unable to avoid the accident, proceeded to hit the Civic. The man driving the pickup truck has since been charged with vehicular homicide.

The man in the pickup truck apparently had three passengers with him. According to authorities, the woman in the front seat was ejected upon impact with the Civic. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman’s son and boyfriend were in the back seat; authorities report that both were ejected through the rear window of the truck. Neither of them were hurt, according to reports, although the son was taken to a local hospital for treatment for non-accident related issues.

Authorities also revealed that three people in the Civic sustained injuries. Due to the force of the impact, they apparently had to be extricated from the vehicle. The driver of the third car, who was traveling alone, was not hurt in the accident.

Authorities charged the man believed to have caused the fatal crash with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence. It was not immediately clear when or how they established that the man was under the influence. They also did not reveal what the man’s blood-alcohol content was. The authorities did not make mention if the man had any previous arrest records.

Vehicular homicide, if proven, can result in jail time or worse. It is important to gain an understanding of how Tennessee law protects the rights of anyone accused of such a crime. Before any sentence can be handed down, the accused is entitled to a fair and just trial, where the prosecution must attempt to prove the case against him. Until that happens, though, the accused is still considered innocent of the accusations.

Source: oakridger.com, Woman killed in crash, driver charged with DUI, Beverly Majors, Dec. 11, 2013