Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
According to People Magazine, a former star of TV’s “The Bachelor” has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident following an alleged fatal car crash. Soules was the star of Season 19 of the television show that originally aired in 2015.
Authorities have said Soules was driving a pickup truck when he allegedly rear-ended a man driving a farm tractor. A transcript of the 911 call Soules allegedly placed following the accident shows the caller admitting that he crashed into “a guy on a tractor.”At this point, the emergency dispatcher asked if anyone was injured, and he said the tractor driver was injured. The operator then asked if the tractor was currently in a ditch, and the caller confirmed that it was. He also said tractor driver was not conscious. When asked if Soules could check victim to see if he was breathing, he said that he could not tell, but he did not appear to be breathing. He also allegedly gave his full name to emergency dispatcher and was told not to leave the scene of accident. He was asked if he knew CPR, and when he answered in the negative, the operator attempted to talk him through the process of administering CPR; he said there was blood everywhere. He then asked if he could call back.
At this point, authorities alleged that as they were arriving on the scene of what turned out to be a fatal man vs tractor, as the emergency dispatcher called, Soules was allegedly fleeing the scene of the accident in his red pickup truck. Since he had given his name to emergency dispatcher, authorities looked up his address and proceeded to go his home. He allegedly would not come out of his house, and it took hours to get a valid arrest warrant to enter the home. Once they had finally obtained an arrest warrant, they were able to effectuate an arrest and take him into custody without further incident. He was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal car accident, but was not charged with drunk driving or any similar type of charge, according to authorities.
It is important to understand that, while Soules has been charged with a serious criminal offense, the charge is merely an allegation. He is therefore presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a judge or jury, as that is the standard of proof in a criminal case.
As our Boston hit-and-run injury lawyers can explain, in many cases, they driver manages to get away and is never found. This does not mean you do not have a case if the vehicle in which you were riding has valid liability insurance coverage. Even if you were a pedestrian, but you or someone in your immediate household owns a vehicle, you might still have a valid claim under what is known as uninsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Even if you do not know what UIM coverage is, under Massachusetts, law, if you own a vehicle and have insurance, you probably have UIM coverage, as you should discuss with an experienced car accident lawyer.
If you are injured in an accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
‘Devastated’ Chris Soules Speaks Out After Arrest for Allegedly Leaving the Scene of Deadly Crash, April 25, 2017, By Elizabeth Stone, People
More Blog Entries:
School in Falmouth Holds Memorial for Student Athletes Killed in Crash, Feb. 12, 2017, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog