Wrongful death: up and coming college graduate killed on Cape Cod

life snuffed out in a car accident should never happen, regardless of the victim’s age. But one Cape Cod fatal weekend crash that occurred at about 2:20 p.m. on May 26 in Dennis seems like a particularly wrongful death because of the promise of a beautiful life that was cut tragically short.

A 22-year-old college graduate who had landed a prestigious first job and had just graduated the week before was killed when the car in which she was riding in on Route 6 lost control, struck a guardrail and overturned at least twice before short-circuiting her dreams and the dreams of her family.

Preliminary reports did not identify exactly what went wrong, though speed was not initially thought to have played a significant role in the fatal crash. The car was driven by a man — also 22 — who was subsequently said to be in stable condition at a Cape Cod hospital. He has since been released and no further word on his condition was immediately made available.

The Yale graduate was set to go to work for The New Yorker as an assistant and was making plans to move to Brooklyn during the month of June. Instead, her family must now struggle to cope with seemingly insurmountable grief in the face of a senseless and tragic death. Authorities say both the driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts, and there was no hint of alcohol or drugs playing any part in the collision.

Police will now attempt to piece together exactly who did what and when. It was not said if there were any witnesses to the crash. Authorities will necessarily review any skid marks, along with the ultimate resting place of the vehicle, together with statements from the driver and anyone else with relevant information. Whatever they determine cannot change the fact that a young life has been lost under circumstances that could be considered wrongful death.

Source: The New Haven Register, “Yale graduate, 22, killed in Cape Cod car accident,” May 29, 2012