Members of the Indiana State University football community, as well as the community at large, are grieving the loss of several young adults, two of whom were athletes on the school’s football team. An ISU coach made a public statement in the aftermath of the recent tragedy, saying that those who died were respected by coaches and teammates alike and will be greatly missed. The deaths were a result of a single-vehicle collision.
Another ISU football player was also involved in the crash, but it is not clear whether he was traveling as a passenger or may have been behind the wheel at the time. Police did not release information regarding the identity of the driver. However, the vehicle that contained the teammates, as well as other occupants, veered off the road and struck a tree.
Police say the vehicle was in flames when they arrived
Rescuers say the vehicle ignited in flames after striking the tree. Two occupants were extricated and transported to a local hospital for emergency care. One of them is listed as one of the top 50 football players in the state. He was listed in serious condition, and a Twitter post about the incident also stated that he greatly needs the community’s prayers. Sadly, three people involved in the collision did not survive their injuries.
Why incidents like this often lead to litigation
When a family loses a loved one in an Indiana motor vehicle collision, it is often because of driver negligence. In such cases, an immediate family member of a decedent is able to file a wrongful death claim in a civil court to request financial recovery on behalf of the deceased loved one. A plaintiff in a wrongful death case is tasked with proving that the defendant was negligent and that his or her negligence was directly responsible for the fatality that occurred.