The odds of being killed in a car, motorcycle or commercial trucking accident are somewhat less than those of being severely injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, but the risk still remains. As motorcycle riders know too well, injury or death are just part of the landscape when operating a cycle. In fact, thousands of people die in traffic accidents every year across this nation; in this regard, residents of Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C., are no strangers to fatal motor vehicle wrecks.
Although being injured or killed in a multi-vehicle collision is not unusual, there are situations where a cyclist is at greater risk, sometimes without knowing it. Drunk driving is one of the many contributing factors to motorcycle injury accidents. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we have seen the results of fatal highway wrecks that have ultimately led to a wrongful death lawsuit on the victim’s behalf.
Alcohol consumption and motor vehicle operation is a dangerous mix. As Maryland and Washington, D.C., auto injury attorneys, I and my staff have seen many people who have been hurt as a direct result of a drunk driver. These instances of serious or fatal car accidents caused by drunken driving continue to occur despite state laws designed to reduce and eliminate the problem.
Anyone who has ever lost a family member or loved one through the senseless act of drunk driving knows the heartache associated with these mostly preventable accidents. Victims’ families not only experience a huge emotional loss, but they can be affected financially as well, especially if the victim was a family breadwinner. While nothing can make a family whole again following a fatal car or motorcycle accident, recuperating medical costs and lost wages may help the surviving family members make it through one of the darkest periods of their lives.
Not long ago, a Parkton, MD, resident was killed while riding his bike along a stretch of York Rd. Sadly, this crash may have been avoided since news reports indicate that the driver of the vehicle which hit the rider may have been drunk at the time of the crash.
Based on news reports, 26-year-old Zakry Foster was riding his Harley-Davidson south along York Road a little past midnight on a Thursday when he reportedly slowed to make a U-turn. Police reports show that Foster’s bike was hit by a truck near the intersection of York and Bentley in Baltimore County. Officers responding to the crash site said that the biker was declared dead at the scene at 12:39am.
Before he could make his turn, Foster was apparently struck from behind by a Chevrolet 3500 truck reportedly driven by 26-year-old Charles Wood, also of Parkton. The police accident report showed that the truck hit Foster’s motorcycle on the left side, ejecting the rider and throwing him to the west-side shoulder of York Rd.
Following the impact, Wood’s vehicle apparently struck a utility pole with a glancing blow, ran into an embankment and then flipped over. Wood was taken to York Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, according to news reports. Although, both riders were allegedly at fault, police reportedly charged the Wood with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police & FireParkton Motorcyclist Killed in York Road Accident, Patch.com, June 23, 2011