Law enforcement and prosecutors say that a West Roxbury teen will be facing criminal charges for negligence in his involvement in a two-vehicle wreck September 6 on the Arborway. Officials say that the 18-year-old man was traveling 80 mph when he lost control of his sport utility vehicle while traveling to the west on the Arborway in Jamaica Plain. The SUV jumped the median and went into a roll. The SUV slammed into an eastbound Ford F-150 driven by a 33-year-old Dorchester, Massachusetts, resident.
The car accident victim who had been driving the Ford pickup truck suffered serious injuries in the wreck. Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital placed the man in a medically induced coma, and prosecutors say that he remains in that coma at the hospital in Boston.
Several people in the SUV were also injured. One teenager suffered head trauma and spine injuries that authorities say are “life altering,” according to the Boston Herald. The Chestnut Hill teen was ejected from the SUV during the horrible Arborway wreck. In all, prosecutors say that six people were injured, with two of the accident victims suffering critical injuries in the crash.
The driver of the SUV will be facing criminal charges, including a claim of negligence in driving. Notably, criminal negligence is a governmental issue. Individuals injured due to another’s negligence may have a separate claim even if prosecutors pursue criminal charges.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.7 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. The second leading cause of brain injury is car accidents. The CDC says that brain injuries are a significant health problem. TBIs may result in death, but for many survivors, a TBI certainly can be life altering.
Source: Boston Herald, “Officials: Teen was driving 80 mph in horrific Arborway crash,” Ariel Rodriguez, Sept. 18, 2013
