One of many Missouri car accidents kills mother in parking lot

A 10-year-old girl from Missouri will live with the knowledge that she is alive because her mother gave her life in order to save the life of her daughter. The Metropolitan Police Department in St. Louis reported a recent call-out to a tragic auto-pedestrian accident in the parking area of a Walgreens store. Fatal car accidents in parking lots are not common occurrences, as motorists normally do not travel at a high rate of speed under those circumstances.

Authorities reported that the mother and daughter were approaching the store when they were confronted by an SUV speeding toward them. In a split second, the mother instinctively shoved her daughter out of harm’s way. However, there was not enough time for her to avoid being squashed up against the building. The young girl could only stand by watching as her mother was crushed to death. She was later released into the care of relatives.

It was noted that the SUV rolled forward, and instead of hitting the brakes, the driver pushed down on the accelerator. She apparently attempted to avoid smashing into the building, but lost control and pinned the mother against a concrete pillar. The driver was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Car accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians often result in severe injuries or fatalities to pedestrians. The surviving family of the Missouri woman who lost her life in this accident may want to pursue recovery of damages that appear to have resulted from the negligence of another party. Although no amount of money could replace the young girl’s mother, a properly navigated wrongful death claim in a civil court may lead to compensation to alleviate the financial burden of a funeral and burial, along with other financial losses recognized by applicable laws.

Source: fchornet.com, “Colleen Segbers crushed to death by SUV after pushing daughter out of the way”, , Sept. 25, 2014