So far, 2012 is turning out to be the year of the Philadelphia hit and run. Earlier this week, we wrote about a hit and run on New Year’s Eve where a party-goer struck another set of party goers in Folcroft sending a man to the hospital with serious injuries.
Now, in even more tragic news, we’re writing about a triple hit and run that killed a disabled women in a wheelchair. So what exactly is a triple hit and run?
Unfortunately, it's exactly what it sounds like. The 58-year-old victim was identified as Edith MacFarland and she was reportedly attempting to cross a street near the hotel where she was staying in Wilmington when she was struck by a car, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The force of the collision ejected McFarland from her wheelchair and into the southbound lane of the road. It's not clear if she survived the initial crash, but she was soon struck by another two vehicles. Shockingly, none of the three motorists stopped, reports the Inquirer. MacFarland was pronounced dead at the scene.
For the hit and run, the motorists could face both criminal and civil liability. Focusing on the civil liability, it will be interesting to see who could be held liable in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Three separate motorists struck Edith MacFarland. While, we currently do not know at what point MacFarland died, the defendants in a potential lawsuit will want to know.
For example, if MacFarland died after getting hit by the first car, that driver would likely be solely responsible for her death. The other drivers could argue they do not owe a duty to a dead body and caused no harm to the victim as she was already dead.
On the other hand, if MacFarland survived the initial collision, the other drivers could be held partially responsible if they contributed to her death in the triple hit and run.
Related Resources:
- Find a Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Car Accidents (FindLaw)
- Ask A Question about Personal Injury now (FindLaw Answers)
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