The Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed that a 50-year-old woman was killed and two teenagers were injured after a two-vehicle accident that happened on Jan. 27 in Kennetcook. All of the victims of the crash were in the same vehicle, and the two injured passengers were both 14-year-old boys. There have been no reports about whether or not the victims were related to each other.
The fatal accident took place while the victims were traveling along Highway 354 in a Toyota. At about 8:20 a.m., they were involved in a collision with a Jeep that Mounties described as being very serious. According to reports, slippery road conditions may have been a factor in the crash. Investigators looking into the causes of the accident were assisted in part by a traffic analyst.
Following the crash, medical personnel pronounced the driver of the Toyota dead at the scene. The two minor passengers in her vehicle were transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, and the driver of the Jeep was reportedly uninjured. Authorities were forced to shut down Highway 354 for almost eight hours after the accident.
Although slippery roads can create more hazardous road conditions, drivers are expected to adjust their speed and take appropriate safety precautions. If a driver was traveling at an unsafe speed for the weather conditions before being involved in a fatal accident, they may be found liable for a death that occurred. Family members of the deceased victim may be able to build a wrongful death claim against the driver by gathering evidence establishing that the driver’s negligent actions led to the accident.
Source: CBC News, « Woman dead, 2 teens in hospital after Kennetcook crash« , January 27, 2014