A vehicle crash occurred just shortly after 2:00 AM on Wednesday, July 15th which resulted in the injury of three men who were riding motorcycles at the time of the accident. The three men were hit by an additional motor vehicle. The driver of that vehicle that struck the three motorcyclists was said to have been traveling the wrong way down interstate I-495. The driver, 69 year old Hilda L. Szala of Riverside, Rhode Island, was allegedly traveling south on the northbound lane of the highway near an overpass in Norton. Preliminary reports provided by the state police indicate that Szala was driving under the influence of alcohol when the accident took place.
State police has additionally indicated that they had previously received well over 40 calls from other motorists complaining of a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction down the highway prior to the accident involving the three motorcyclists.
The accident resulted in serious injuries to all three motorcyclists that were hit by Hilda Szala’s 2003 Toyota. One of the victims, a 38 year old man from Brockton, Massachusetts, was thrown from his 2006 Suzuki motorcycle and has sustained life-threatening injuries. State Trooper Matthew Guarino, who is investigating the incident, said in a statement that the 38 year old victim was transported to Rhode Island Hospital, but an immediate update on his condition has not yet been released. Another victim of the accident, a 36 year old man also from Brockton, Massachusetts, was riding a 1999 Suzuki motorcycle at the time of the accident and was similarly thrown from his vehicle upon impact. The severity of his injuries had not been detailed at the time of the initial report. The third victim of the accident, a 28 year old man from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, sustained non-life threatening injuries as he too was thrown from his vehicle following the accident. No additional information on where the other victims were treated or the nature of their injuries has been provided at this time. The driver of the Toyota, Hilda Szala, did not suffer any injuries.
The identities of the three men wounded during this accident have not been made immediately available.
Hilda Szala appeared in court on Monday where she is facing charges brought on by the state police. Those charges include: driving under the influence resulting in serious injury, driving negligently, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, failure to keep in marked lanes, and driving the wrong way down a state highway, according to State Trooper Matthew Guarino. There is no word yet on what specific sentences or fines these charges will hold for Szala. The original article regarding this accident did not specify the exact details surrounding the matter—for instance; the reports do not indicate how they were able to identify Szala as the driver involved in the accident if she fled the scene immediately following what happened. More details are expected to emerge in the upcoming days.
Our Boston injury lawyers have represented numerous motorcyclist victims for over fifty years. The laws and rules of the road differ for motorcyclists than those driving motor vehicles. If you have been involved in an accident and aren’t sure what to do next give one of our Massachusetts injury lawyers a call for a free consultation.
The original article can be found at the following link: http://www.wcvb.com/news/wrongway-driver-who-struck-motorcyclists-charged-with-drunken-driving/34256088