As children we have little choice but to place our lives in the hands of others. Parents and grandparents are constantly responsible for the safety of their young charges, and in choosing a suitable adult with whom they have faith will look after the best interests of their child during car trips, play dates and other activities away from immediate relatives. This is why any injury to a minor or young child hits families hard when a caretaker or other responsible adult falls down on the job of watching over their young ones.
As we get older and move into adulthood, the responsibility shifts to us when we have choices to make that could have a permanent or long-term effect on our health and livelihood. While most people probably don’t dwell much on these matters, it isn’t at all farfetched to consider that every ride with a friend, relative or loved one could be a potential opportunity for disaster. At the risk of sounding morbid, I and my colleagues know that every time someone ventures out on the roadway these days there is always a chance of being involved in a serious traffic accident.
As Baltimore auto, truck and motorcycle accident attorneys, it is our job to dwell on the downside to every choice. But it is also our duty to identify when another person may have taken the faith and trust of another individual for granted, though thoughtless actions or deeds, and altered forever that person’s life. One should not have to suffer from another person’s poor choices. Sadly, people die every day through the negligent actions of a stranger; yet many Americans are killed or seriously injured by the actions of someone they know and trust.
Whether one lives here in Maryland, over in the District, or anywhere else across this vast nation, just because we give up our control over a situation doesn’t necessarily mean we should give up our live as well. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we know all too well how a seemingly inconsequential decision can lead to tragedy. Nowhere else can an error in judgment result in life-changing consequences for a person than on one of our numerous highways, expressways and tollways.
We bring this up today following the death of a young woman out in California. According to reports, 20-year-old Sammi Kraft, one of the actors who played in the remake of the popular mid-‘70s movie “Bad News Bear” died from injuries sustained in a traffic wreck on a Los Angeles expressway. Kraft, who played the “Bears” role made famous by Tatum O’Neal, was apparently riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle that rear-ended a commercial tractor-trailer a week ago.
Based on police reports, the accident occurred at about half past one in the morning when the Audi in which Kraft was riding smashed into the back of an 18-wheeler and was then hit itself by a second passenger vehicle. Police stated that the Audi was headed westbound “at a high rate of speed” at the time of the incident.
Both Kraft and the vehicle’s 21-year-old driver had to be extricated by emergency responders following the collision. The two were transported to separate medical facilities in L.A. Kraft, who was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver was treated for what authorities indicated were moderate injuries; she was subsequently arrested by police on suspicion of felony DWI.
Sammi Kane Kraft, actress in ‘Bad News Bears’ remake, dies in car crash; Today.com, October 11, 2012