Knoxville man in wheelchair hit and killed by SUV

A Knoxville man died last week after he was hit by a sports utility vehicle. The 68-year-old man had just come off the sidewalk, riding in his motorized wheelchair. As he entered onto Forest Glen Drive in West Knoxville, the driver of the SUV hit him, knocking the man out of his wheelchair. He was taken to UT Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

The driver of the SUV is an 18-year-old from Knoxville. No charges have been filed against him but police are still investigating the fatal crash. Knoxville police officials said they are investigating now in order to determine if they will file any charges.

According to a news report, the driver of the SUV was on Forest Glen Drive and was about to pull onto westbound Kingston Pike when the accident happened. It happened just before 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Traffic shut down for hours on Kingston Pike as police investigated the accident.

Police have not released any information as to the condition of the 18-year-old man and what may have led to the accident. Many factors need to be considered such as whether or not the man was intoxicated or distracted when he hit the 68-year-old man.

Regardless of charges, the family of the 68-year-old man may choose to seek compensation in the wrongful death of their family member as a result of possible negligence. An attorney in Knoxville experienced in personal injury cases can help victims understand their rights and options in order to get compensated for their pain and suffering.

Source: WBIR, “Update: Victim in wheelchair identified in crash with SUV,” Sept. 29, 2011