Multiple Car Accident on Woodland Parkway Leaves Roswell Woman Dead
A car accident in Cobb County left a Roswell woman dead Sunday, according to Patch.com. The crash, which involved four vehicles, happened when a woman driving an SUV drove into an intersection against the red light and collided with several other vehicles. Emergency medical responders transported the driver of one of the vehicles to nearby Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. None of the other victims of the accident appear to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Washbourne Was Under the Influence at the Time of the Accident
The intersection where the crash occurred is at Johnson Ferry Road and Woodland Parkway. Investigators from the Cobb County Police Department say that around 6:45pm, the driver of the SUV, 38-year-old Courtney Washbourne, was driving down the southbound lane of Johnson Ferry Road. When she reached the intersection with Woodland Parkway, the traffic signal was red, but she continued into the intersection. She collided with two vehicles in the northbound lane of Johnson Ferry Road, both of which were turning left onto Woodland Parkway, then entered the northbound lane and struck a third car. Emergency response personnel transported Washbourne to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital for injuries that were non-life-threatening. Police charged Washbourne with violation of a traffic control device, driving under the influence and felony homicide by vehicle.
More Traffic Cameras Means More Accident Evidence
In accidents like this one, you might ask yourself, “How did the police know that the driver entered the intersection against the red light?” Of course, they could have proved this the old-fashioned way: by questioning witnesses. But nowadays, that isn’t always necessary, because of the growth in the use of cameras at intersections. As Atlanta upgrades its traffic signals, new systems will make increased use of cameras, metal detectors and other sensors to help regulate traffic more efficiently, WABE Atlanta reports. Some of these cameras can also be used to document the events surrounding an accident. An attorney for a victim in a traffic accident can subpoena evidence from traffic cameras. Some of this evidence may appear in a police report, if there is one. If it’s not in a police report, then there’s a risk it will disappear, since many traffic cameras cycle through storage and delete old footage after a certain period of time elapses. This means that you need to move quickly to protect your rights.
Victims of Parkway Accident May Use Camera Footage in Lawsuits
So would the victims of the accident on Woodland Parkway or their survivors be able to use traffic camera evidence in a lawsuit against Ms. Washbourne? Possibly, but it depends on the situation. If we assume that there was a camera at the intersection, then there was probably footage at one time of the accident, since the camera would be angled to capture cars entering the intersection. Since the police filed charges against Ms. Washbourne, they might have included photos from the camera in their police report or saved footage from the camera for the prosecutor. If so, the attorneys for the victims of the accident may be able to subpoena this footage. If the police did not save any of the footage from the camera, then plaintiffs may need to file quickly to make sure to save the footage from the cameras before it disappears.
Reach Out to Us Today
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, you need legal help. Get in touch with an experienced car accident lawyer at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County today to get the compensation you deserve.
