2 men arraigned for death of teen

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Wrongful Death, on Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Two men are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter for the 2013 death of a Massachusetts teenager. They were arraigned for their role in the fatal accident on July 9, and both men pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. The accident occurred about 6 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2013, on Interstate 91 in Longmeadow. The 17-year-old Springfield resident was driving his Jeep in the northbound lanes when he swerved to avoid striking couch cushions that had fallen off another vehicle onto the roadway. He lost control of his vehicle and collided with a tractor-trailer, causing the Jeep to catch fire. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The two men charged in the teen’s death were moving a couch in their vehicle when the cushions fell onto the roadway. An investigation led the police to the two men, ages 32 and 43. In addition to the involuntary manslaughter charge, the 32-year-old man, who was driving the vehicle moving the couch, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death. After their arraignment, the two men were released on their own recognizance and scheduled to return to court for a pre-trial hearing on Jan. 6, 2015. Drivers who fail to secure furniture or other loads that they haul can cause fatal accidents. The death of a loved one can permanently alter the life of a family, depriving parents and other relatives of their relationship with the deceased. Immediate family members might file a wrongful death suit against the at-fault driver for economic damages, such as funerary expenses. Source: WGGB, “Two Springfield Men Arraigned on Fatal Crash Involving Couch Cushions“, July 09, 2014