Teen drivers are considered risky investments for insurance companies due to their inexperience and lack of maturity. This inexperience often causes young drivers to overestimate their ability to control their vehicles in order to avoid collisions with other cars or objects. After one tragic collision, a Tennessee teen now faces several charges, including one for vehicular homicide, stemming from a 2013 accident.

The accident for which the man is being charged occurred last December, when the accused was 17-years old. According to the report, a 24-year-old man was in the process of backing out of a residential driveway when his car was struck by an SUV driven by the teenager. The passenger car was sent into spin through a private yard before colliding with a mail box and a utility pole.

A 19-year-old female passenger was killed in the impact, while the driver and another passenger suffered serious injuries. The driver of the SUV and his passenger reportedly fled the scene. Tennessee officials located both the vehicle and the driver and obtained DNA from the vehicle that was matched to a sample obtained from the teen. The alleged driver, who has since turned 18, will now face charges as an adult.

The teenager and his defense team will now work to determine the best course of action to fight the vehicular homicide charge and the other charges against him. They may approach his defense from any number of directions, which may include seeking a plea bargain or attempting to prove his innocence in court. Regardless of the path they choose, he can gain comfort from knowing that the burden of proof lies on the shoulders of the prosecution.

Source: theleafchronicle.com, “Name revealed of suspect involved in 2013 fatal crash“, Katelyn Clark, Nov. 18, 2014