In an instant, a mistake could change lives forever. Many people regret mistakes that resulted in the suffering of others, but they may still have to handle criminal charges if their errors in judgment had tragic outcomes. When a car accident results in a death, the driver considered at fault could face charges for manslaughter.
It was recently reported that a Texas father is currently facing charges for manslaughter and aggravated assault. According to reports, the father had apparently picked his 8-year-old and 5-year-old sons up from school and was speeding when they were involved in a crash. The father’s vehicle crashed into a wrecker that was stopped at a traffic light and then collided with a tow truck. Authorities do not believe that either child was wearing a seatbelt.
The incident resulted in the older child suffering fatal injuries, and the younger boy was considered to be in critical condition. The father was also critically injured, but the report noted that he is expected to live. Authorities first believed that the father was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but testing revealed that not to be the case, which is why he is facing allegations of manslaughter and not murder.
Though an allegation of manslaughter is slightly less severe than a charge for murder, it is still a serious allegation to address. This Texas man undoubtedly feels a considerable amount of grief for the loss of his child and the injury of his other son. Still, while he works through those emotions, he may also want to ensure that he understands his legal options for defending against the charges he faces in order to address his case in the best manner possible.