Pedestrians are usually vulnerable to any number of obstacles that could lead to an accident while crossing the roads. A drag racing accident in Pennsylvania is no exception. In a tragic event, a fatal accident occurred in Philadelphia after two drivers were drag racing. A woman and four of her children were attempting to cross the road when they were hit by one of the drivers.

Reportedly, a 23-year-old man and a 30-year-old man were driving at an excessive rate of speed during a drag race. One of the racers lost control of the vehicle when he crashed into a mother and her young children who were attempting to cross the street. A 5-year old boy was able to survive the crash, however, his 28-year-old mother and three siblings tragically died from the incident.

Police charged the driver with multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter and third-degree murder. He is being held at the local county jail on a $2.5 million bond. This comes as no surprise since the driver has been ticketed multiple times dating back to 2009 for speeding, driving on a suspended license and careless driving.

Understandably, drag racing accidents can be even more deadly than the more traditional type of car accident. The driver in this case may have to respond to wrongful death lawsuits in addition to his already pending criminal charges. The surviving family members of the fatal accident victims reserve the right to pursue wrongful death claims against the driver on the deceased’s behalf. The civil court system in Pennsylvania usually handles these types of claims and awards monetary damages if the driver is deemed to be responsible for the deaths.

Source: lancasteronline.com, “Lancaster man charged in fatal crash in Philadelphia has history of driving-related tickets,” Cindy Stauffer, July 19, 2013