Last week, an accident occured in Stone Mountain that serves to remind us how important it is to drive safely and responsibly, and to not take our lives or the lives of others lightly.
Two young men were driving recklessly and ended up killing a fourteen year old girl when their car jumped the curb and hit her on the sidewalk. Two other students were also injured in this pedestrian accident. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Saheed Saunders and Tomcum Siripanhya, both 17, were released Wednesday from the DeKalb County jail on $21,000 and $20,000 bond, respectively.
Both teens were accused of racing, reckless driving, and vehicular homicide in the wreck that killed 14-year-old Tanesha Williams.
According to the law, the teenagers who were in the car should be guilty of "wanton and willful misconduct". The specific definition of "wanton and willful misconduct" varies from state to state, but it essentially means that the guilty party willingly disregarded the safety of others in order to pursue a course of action that he or she knew to be reckless or dangerous.
If these teenagers are found to have acted with "wanton and willful misconduct", then the individuals who were injured should be able to receive punitive damages from the two rekless drivers who were in the car. I certainly hope that the courts bring these two teenagers to justice, and teaches them that you cannot behave recklessly without suffering the consequences.
We wish all the best to those individuals and their families affeted by these guy’s careless actions.
