The South Carolina Highway Patrol has not one, but two mysteries to solve.  A recent car accident on Interstate 26 involved a hit-and-run driver and a question as to whether an initial accident killed a youth pastor or the missing vehicle from the collision that followed. Troopers are requesting anyone with information regarding the accident to come forward.

Reports indicate that the youth pastor was the passenger in a truck with a trailer attached traveling east on the Interstate.  When the trailer began to fishtail, the driver lost control.  The truck and trailer flipped over in the median.  During the crash, the driver and passenger were ejected from the truck and landed on the west side of the highway.

A dark colored vehicle believed to be either a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry ran into the 25-year-old passenger, but the driver failed to stop.  It is speculated that the vehicle sustained front end damage as a result.  The youth pastor suffered fatal injuries at the scene.  The extent of the injuries suffered by the truck driver and his current condition were not reported.

While the investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol continues, the family of the victim, his friends and his church are mourning his loss.  His family is also incurring expenses associated with his premature death.  They retain the right to file a wrongful death claim against the party or parties deemed responsible for his death.

Crucial to this determination is whether he died from the initial car accident or being hit by the other vehicle.  Even though the driver of the car that fled the scene may be criminally charged for the hit-and-run, that driver may not be civilly liable for his death if it is determined he was already deceased when struck.  In either case, the family is required to prove negligence on the part of the named defendant or defendants before the court will consider an award of monetary damages to the family such as pain and suffering and funeral and burial costs.

Source: wyff4.com, “HP: Crash kills pastor, injures ministry leader, Hit-and-run driver sought“, Janice Limon, Sept. 16, 2014

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Steven M. Krause

Steven Krause is a personal injury, auto accident, and workers’ compensation lawyer who practices in Anderson, SC. He graduated form the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law and has been practicing law for 40 years now. Steven Krause believes in fighting for the injured. Learn more about his experience here.