A 52 year old woman was killed last week, while on her motorized wheelchair, when she was hit by a car in Pasadena, California. The wrongful death pedestrian accident allegedly occurred when DeShaun Chapman, a 28 year old man, was driving at a high speed at about 6:30 p.m. when he swerved to avoid a car pulling out from a driveway. Chapman went into oncoming traffic, overcorrected and lost control of his vehicle, hitting the woman and a wall, resulting in the woman being pinned underneath.
Chapman, who fled the scene after the Pasadena pedestrian accident, later returned to the scene and was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter.
The driver of the sedan, who also fled the scene, has not been found. If found, the driver of this car may also face similar criminal charges.
The family of the victim will likely make a Pasadena wrongful death claim against Chapman, and may also be able to pursue an uninsured motorist claim, where the uninsured motorist coverage, if any, would take the place of the driver who fled the scene and was not located.
Due to the complexities involved with a wrongful death pedestrian accident, involving a hit and run vehicle and another possibly responsible vehicle fleeing the scene, it will likely be necessary for the family to hire a Pasadena personal injury lawyer to help get financial compensation for the wrongful death damages.