High School Senior Dies in Crash One Week before Graduation

Fatal accidents are always tragic but they seem more so when they take a young life.

At Etowah High School’s graduation ceremony, Lucy Boettcher was not physically present, but she was definitely remembered.  Lucy was killed in a single vehicle crash on I-285 just a week before her graduation.

On her graduation night, her name was called along with the other graduating seniors.  Her younger brother walked to the podium and accepted her diploma on his sister’s behalf.  Lucy is one of four students this graduating class has lost to accidents since they began high school together.

The accident happened on I-285 and it appears the young driver lost control of her vehicle when she was distracted by a passenger in the vehicle.  The accident killed both Boettcher and 22 year old Darius Valcarcel.  The other two passengers survived the crash with minor injuries.

When a driver takes their eyes off the road for even a second statistics show they are three times more likely to be in involved in an accident.  Distractions come from all around us.  Other drivers, other accidents, passengers in our own car, and the radio tend to be common distractions.  Although it is impossible to eliminate all distractions some things like hand held electronic devices are things we can avoid.

Minimize use of the radio and cell phones when you are driving.  When moving you should never text and it is still unclear if the use of a headset is substantially safer than talking on a cell phone while driving.

Texting while driving is the greatest culprit of distracted driving accidents.  The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that texting while driving creates the risk of a crash three times more likely.

It’s a good idea to get in the habit of putting your phone or other handheld device out of reach so that you are not tempted to use it while behind the wheel.

If you are involved in a crash caused by a distracted driver you probably have many questions.  We can help you answer questions regarding payment of medical bills, filing an insurance claim, future medical bills and lost wages.

Accidents change lives immediately.  Stokes & Kopitsky will work with you every step of the way to help you receive compensation to make you whole again.  Call us today.