In February I wrote about a terrible accident in Westminster, Maryland that killed Thomas Rouleau, a 19 year old McDaniel College student and wounded four other students. The driver who hit the students fled the scene. I am happy to see a report in the Baltimore Sun today that the suspect has been extradited to Maryland from New York. The suspect is a Reistertown resident who was arrested in New York on other charges not related to this accident. The suspect, Shawron Bibbs, has been charged with negligent manslaughter and theft of a car. Apparently he was driving a stolen car at the time of this accident. Now he will have to answer for the tragedy that he caused.

A tragic car accident happened on February 6, 2009 in Westminster, Maryland.  19 year old Thomas Rouleau died when someone driving a pickup truck slammed into the car in which Rouleau was riding and then left the scene.  Rouleau was riding with four other McDaniel College students at the time of the accident.  The other passengers in the car were treated for minor injuries.

According to the news reports, the driver of the pickup truck had just been involved in a minor collision while leaving a parking space in downtown Westminster.  After crashing into Rouleau’s car, the truck driver fled the scene.  It is unthinkable to me that anyone could do such a thing and not stop to see if the passengers were hurt.  There was a witness and I hope that person was able to get a license plate or other identifying information about the pickup truck driver.  And then I hope that the driver is held responsible for the unspeakable grief he or she has caused the Rouleau family and the students and faculty at McDaniel College.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.  Anyone who abuses that privilege and causes the death of another person should receive a severe penalty.

Newly released statistics show a drop in deadly car accidents involving teenagers in the Baltimore area.  From 2003 – 2007, the number of deadly accidents dropped from 62 per year to 21 per year, while the number of car accidents involving injuries dropped from more than 4000 per year to just over 1900 per year.  While the loss of life is still too high, these numbers show a dramatic improvement.

Experts say that the reduction is due to changes in the licensing procedures for young drivers. Young drivers now go through a graduated entry into unrestricted driving privileges.  I applaud these changes.  In my law practice I see the devastation caused by fatal car accidents, particularly those involving the loss of a teenager.  Any steps that will prevent even one family from dealing with that horror are worthwhile, in my opinion.

A mother and her young son were tragically killed in a car accident on Friday in Belair.   According to a newspaper account , the Brady family was traveling northbound on the Belair bypass when their van was hit head-on by a Jeep Cherokee that crossed the center line.   Katherine Brady and her 8 year old son, Wilson, were killed instantly.   Stephen Brady and 2 year old Ian Brady were taken to Shock Trauma and Johns Hopkins Pediatric Shock Trauma respectively.  The heartbreak for this family is unimaginable.      I hope for a quick and full recovery for the surviving family members.