Dangerous drivers put everyone around them at risk. Although the state of Ohio has enacted laws in an attempt to keep dangerous drivers off the road, many dangerous drivers are still on local roads. Authorities are now blaming a 25-year-old man who had a suspended license for causing a fatal car accident in Cincinnati last month.

The accident killed a 14-year-old boy who had dreams of going to college and pursuing a career in the NBA. The accident also seriously injured his grandmother and caused injuries to two other people. The boy's grandmother was driving him to spend the weekend with his mother when the 25-year-old driver allegedly ran a stop sign and struck the grandmother's vehicle in the side.

The impact of the crash was so severe that it forced her 1998 Dodge Avenger off the road and down a hill. The Avenger crashed through a fence, coming to rest in a parking lot. The 14-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities believe the 25-year-old driver with a suspended license may have been intoxicated and speeding at the time of the accident. He is now facing criminal charges because of the incident.

This story illustrates how the system can sometimes allow dangerous drivers to remain on the road. Just one week before the accident, the 25-year-old man failed to appear in court for a separate matter. Now, he is facing criminal charges. However, the results of the criminal charges against him will not compensate the 14-year-old boy's family for their loss.

In order to receive compensation for their loss, they would need to file a type of civil lawsuit known as wrongful death in Ohio. In cases of extremely negligent or reckless conduct that causes death or injury, it is common for there to be parallel criminal and civil lawsuits filed against the defendant.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, "Driver in fatal crash had suspended license," 5/4/2011