For one Missouri family, Halloween 2015 ended in tragedy and will likely always be associated with the death of a loved one. A 17-year-old girl from Licking suffered serious car accident injuries that led to her death on State Route BB. Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that the fatal car accident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. on Saturday.

A preliminary accident report states that an 18-year-old driver and his 17-year-old passenger were traveling east on State Route BB when he failed to successfully navigate a curve in the road. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree after rolling over several times. Officers reported that the neither the driver nor the passenger were restrained by seat belts, and the passenger was ejected while the car was rolling over.

The teenage passenger was rushed to a hospital, but she succumbed to the critical injuries, and a doctor pronounced her death just before 6 p.m. Officers reported that the driver was under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of the vehicle. He was arrested and is now facing charges of felony involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving while intoxicated that led to an accident. Further charges included failure to wear a seatbelt and failure to comply with an intermediate license.

The surviving family of the teenage girl who died from severe car accident injuries will likely have to cope with unanticipated financial expenses at this difficult time. End-of-life arrangements can be costly, and they are not likely to be part of a family’s budget. Fortunately, financial relief may be available through litigation. The family may pursue a wrongful death claim in a Missouri civil court, and upon establishing negligence on the part of the driver — and the vehicle owner if applicable — a monetary judgment may be entered in restitution of documented financial and other losses sustained.

Source: therolladailynews.com, “Licking teen dies after crash; driver arrested for manslaughter“, Nov.1, 2015