Grocery store parking lots experience a great number of fender bender accidents, but they are rarely the scene of more serious collisions. An unhappy exception to this rule occurred in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer grocery store in Ballard when a hit-and-run driver ran into a pedestrian and then attempted to flee the scene.
According to police, a woman was walking to her car in the parking lot when she was struck by a person driving a 2004-2005 Tacoma. According to witnesses, the driver made no immediate attempt to stop. Instead, he continued driving through the parking lot while the woman was still holding on to the truck. Police said that the pickup truck appeared to have been stolen and that it was found in Burien. The truck appeared to have been the object of an intentionally-set fire before police found it.
On April 23, Issaquah police arrested a woman who appeared to have been a passenger in the pickup truck. A 50-year old man whom police believed to have been involved was already in custody on an unrelated robbery charge. Both suspects have been charged with suspicion of murder, suspicion of arson and suspicion of auto theft. The woman who was struck and dragged by the truck died from her injuries on April 25.
On its surface, this incident appears to be mostly about crimes committed with an automobile. However, the two suspects appear to be liable to the woman who died. The status of insurance on the Toyota truck is not known, but the victim most likely had automobile insurance.
All policies sold in Washington must include coverage for injury or death caused by motorists without insurance. The woman’s family may have a claim for wrongful death against the driver of the Toyota or against her own policy for injury or death caused by an uninsured motorist.
Anyone who has suffered an injury or lost a loved one under similar circumstances may find value in consulting with a capable personal injury lawyer for an evaluation of the evidence, interpretation of applicable insurance policies and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages.
