Mookie Blaylock, Former NBA Star, Faces Charges in Fatal Car Crash

Home > Wrongful Death > Mookie Blaylock, Former NBA Star, Faces Charges in Fatal Car Crash

Former NBA star and fan favorite Mookie Blaylock is facing charges of driving on a suspended license and failing to stay within his lane after he caused a car crash on Friday morning that left one woman dead.

Blaylock is best known for his years with the Atlanta Hawks but also played for the Golden State Warriors and the New Jersey Nets, now the Brooklyn Nets, following his draft into the NBA in 1989.

The collision occurred just outside of Atlanta on Tara Boulevard, a popular four-lane highway in the area. It appears that Blaylock was traveling in one direction and lost control of his Cadillac Escalade, crossed a center median, and entered the highway going the other direction. Blaylock's SUV collided head-on with a van in a violent collision. A 43-year-old female front seat passenger in the van was killed in the crash and Blaylock was critically injured. Emergency medical technicians transported Blaylock by air ambulance to an area hospital where he was placed on life support for several hours.

Following surgery for a broken ankle, Blaylock is in critical condition and reportedly is no longer on life support. However he is currently being sedated by his physicians. Once he is able to speak, police intend to interview him about the collision and may level additional charges against Blaylock, including a potential charge for vehicular homicide. So far, Blaylock has been charged with driving on a suspended license and failing to stay within his lane of traffic.

The family of Mookie Blaylock have reported that he suffers from seizures and has received medical treatment for them and recently had an episode where paramedics had to be called to his home during one of Blaylock's seizures. It is not clear whether doctors had given him any instructions regarding his ability to drive. Reports indicate that an arrest warrant was recently issued in Spalding County, Georgia for Blaylock on charges of driving under the influence and a drug charge though it does not appear that these prior charges had anything to do with the current accident.

Head-on collisions of the type involved in this accident are often violent and account for a disproportionate number of fatalities each year. Though head-on collisions account for only two percent of all crashes, they are responsible for nearly 10 percent of all fatalities. One of the reasons they are so deadly is that these collisions often occur when one driver fails to stay within his own lane and crosses a center line or median. Statistically this results in serious collisions most often on roads with high rates of speeds, like rural highways or other areas with light traffic.

In addition to the pending traffic violations and possible criminal charges, Blaylock may face a civil suit for the damages he caused to the victim and her husband who was reported driving the van and was injured in the crash. These civil suits may include claims for the injuries caused by Blaylock's negligence and for the loss of the victim's life.

If you have been injured in a head-on collision, you may have a claim for your damages against the driver responsible for your injuries. Call the Illinois car crash attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free, no obligation telephone consultation regarding your accident, your injuries, and your rights. We have a lawyer available 24 hours a day so please call us now at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442.

Prior Blog Entry:

Driver Gets 10 Year Prison Sentence for Road-Rage and DUI Crash that Killed Biker, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 3, 2013.

Van Driver in Illinois Crash that Killed 5 Had Suspended License, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 2, 2013.

Resources:

Blaylock faces charges in fatal accident, Chicago Tribune, published June 2, 2013.

Mookie Blaylock improves after crash, may face charges, by Ray Glier, USA Today, published June 1, 2013.

Photo Credit: Image ID: 448500, throbi, stock.xchng.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

School Bus Driver Faces No Charges in Fatal Illinois Crash

A school bus driver involved in a fatal collision near Wadsworth earlier this month will not face any charges, according to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. At least one witness at the scene of the crash originally indicated the bus driver ran a red light, but officials say that witnesses gave conflicting statements thereafter regarding the cause of the collision.

On April 5, the school bus collided with two SUVs at the intersection of Highway 173 and Kilbourne Road, resulting in the death of one of the SUV drivers. A toxicology report on the victim showed what is believed to be prescription drugs in the SUV driver's system at the time of the crash, adding speculation as to the cause of the collision.

There were 35 children on board the bus that morning which was traveling to Newport Elementary School in Wadsworth. The collision demolished one of the SUVs, caused significant damage to the other, and caused the school bus to roll on its side. In all, 37 people were injured.

In most collisions, people who are injured by the negligence of another driver have a right to bring a claim against at-fault driver's insurance. The claim may be made to cover things like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the deceased driver of the SUV is determined to be at-fault in this crash, the adults and students on the bus may be able to bring claims against the SUV driver's insurance.

Most individual automobile insurance policies do not have limits high enough to cover all of the people injured in this collision. Illinois law requires drivers to have a minimum of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per collision in insurance coverage though drivers can carry a greater amount. Even with a large insurance policy, there may not be enough money to cover the damages caused by a crash.

If your damages are greater than the negligent driver's insurance, you may also have an underinsured motorist claim. In this type of claim, your own insurance company will "step into the shoes" of the at-fault driver and provide another source of potential monetary compensation for your claim.

Many people have private insurance policies that provide underinsured motorist coverage in case of a crash with significant injuries and a small insurance policy. In the case of the crash between the school bus and the SUV, the children on board the school bus may be covered by an underinsured provision in their parents' policy and/or an underinsured provision in the policy covering the school bus. Some buses provide this type of coverage to their passengers, including PACE, while other buses, like the CTA, do not. It depends on the language of the insurance policy at issue.

If your child has been injured while riding on a school bus, you may have a claim on behalf of your child against the at-fault driver as well as a possible underinsured motorist claim. The knowledgeable school bus crash lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to discuss your child's injuries. To find out what rights your child may have, please call us today at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442.

More Blog Posts:

Deadly Illinois Bus Accident Kills 1, Injures 37, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published April 5, 2013.

4 Vehicle Crash Injures 5 in Southwest Chicago Suburb, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published May 2, 2013.

Resources:

Bus Driver Cleared Following Fatal Accident, NBC Chicago, published April 30, 2013.

Photo Credit: Bus, Image ID 604402, stock.xchng

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Man Faces Criminal Charges for Providing Alcohol to 17 Year Old Girl Later Hit by Car

A southwest suburban teen died Monday, three days after she was hit by a car. According to a statement from Olympia Fields police, the girl had been wandering down the middle of the 3600 block of Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) in Olympia Fields at five in the morning. Police told the girl's family that her blood alcohol content level was high, perhaps providing an explanation for why she was in the middle of the road. Police also said that they had received multiple 911 calls regarding a person walking in the middle of the roadway before the girl was hit.

Members of the girl's family told reporters that the girl had suffered in the hospital for three days following the accident. In attempts to save her life, doctors reportedly had to revive her five times. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, the girl was pronounced dead at 3:31 p.m. Monday at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

A 21 year old man is being criminally charged for allegedly purchasing alcohol for the girl before the accident occurred. Police said that before the girl was involved in the accident, they believe she was at a party at the man's house, where alcohol was present.

Police said that the Park Forest man was charged with with one count of providing liquor to a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In addition to these criminal charges, the man could potentially face a civil law suit from the girl's family. The act of providing alcohol to the girl may give rise to a wrongful death claim. Generally speaking, if an accident results in a fatality, a wrongful death claim may be brought by the family of the deceased when the negligence of another party caused his or her death. Wrongful death suits are usually brought against the parties directly responsible for causing the death, such as the driver of the car his or herself. If successful, a wrongful death claim can provide a family with compensation for their pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of earnings of the deceased, funeral expenses, and in some cases punitive damages.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

16-year-old boy faces murder charges after causing deadly Chicago car crash

A fatal Illinois auto accident that occurred early Sunday morning in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood has resulted in a 16-year-old minor being charged with first-degree murder, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. The teenager crashed a stolen Range Rover while being chased by police, striking and killing a Chicago 911 dispatcher who was driving home from work.

The minor is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder, burglary, DUI, failing to stop at a red light, and disobeying a stop sign. The teen's name is not being released.

The tragic incident started when officers conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of W. Blackhawk St. and Elston Avenue around 6:15 AM for a red light violation occurred at Elston and Webster. When police got out of their vehicle, the driver reversed towards the officers and hit a police supervisor's vehicle.

Chicago police then pursued the Range Rover, which was a stolen vehicle that is owned by a resident of Bellwood, Illinois. The driver sped north on Elston, then turned onto W. Cortland St., turned north on N. Ashland Ave., and next went west on Armitage to Damen Avenue.

The driver made a few more turns and then collided the victim when he disregarded the stop sign at North Hoyne Avenue and Armitage. The police chase lasted between 1.5 to 2 miles.

The victim, a 42-year-old woman, was later identified as a 911 dispatcher who was heading home from her place of employment at the time of the crash. She was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where she was pronounced dead less than an hour after the accident. An autopsy is scheduled to take place on Monday.

Accident witnesses are stating that the 911 dispatcher's car hit a fire hydrant after the impact with the Range Rover. The SUV hit a parked car after the first impact. The teenage driver tried to flee the scene of the accident through an alley, but was caught by police and arrested.

The minor was taken to an area hospital after the collision, and will remain in police custody. Witnesses report the teenager sustained a head injury in the accident.

There were no passengers in either vehicle, and no one else was injured.

The investigation is being handled by Grand Central Area detectives and the Major Accident Investigation Unit of the Chicago Police Department. The defendant is to appear in criminal court on Monday at Branch 66, 26th and California.

Click here to read the story as reported by NBC news and Fox news.

In a case such as this, our hearts go out to the victim and her family. As far as a civil claim is concerned, the facts above raise an issue that injury lawyers at our office have dealt with several times in the past.

Typically, when a car is stolen, the insurance policy on that stolen vehicle will not cover damages caused to other people's property and personal injury. The victims injured will usually have to fall back on their own insurance coverage and have their accident lawyer prosecute a uninsured motorist claim.

Click here to read more about Illinois uninsured / underinsured cases.

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