• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Being stone walled

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

SCdawg

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina

My wife passed away in a vehicle accident about 2 1/2 years ago. The wreck involved a state trooper. The investegators wrote she was drunk driving wrecked and got ejected and died at the scene. Since then the state trooper that struck my wife's car sued her estate. During discovery process a accident recreation expert stated that that it was very unlikely that she was driving. An eye witness 23yr.vet officer was first at the scene. He firmly states that a male (that was listed as the passenger by the investegators) exited the overturned vehicle said he was the driver and EMS went and unrestrained my wifes body from the passenger side. The lt. went over to direct traffic and get control of a very insane scene. Another eyewitness seen my wife strapped upside down in the passenger side.
The male later said he wasn't driving and had a couple of freinds from the bar state she was driving, but the bouncer at the bar said he seen him drive away. The investagating oficers let him leave the scene without any sobriety test or anything. Basically took his word for it and let this guy go!!
Now the civil litigation is over and settled. I am appalled with the way the investagation was handled. I took all the information I had to the solicitors office. they said nope can't help you have to take it up with the investegators???? i tried going to the police HQ no help there.
what can i do to at the very least bring some light to a very poorly handled scene of an accident.
This is the cooks tour, but to give you an idea 3 hrs after learning of my wifes death they interrogated me. When i questioned there investigation i got chewed out by the officers then harrassed on the phone for the week until i turned my phone off. Something tells me they know they screwed up and want me to go away..
What can I do? At the very least would like this investigation to be brought to light and inner dept. procedures looked into so that this kind of thing doesn't happen to another family. At the most the alleged driver of the car at least get cited for something? This was the single most pathetic investigation method i have ever seen, and my family has a long history of law enforcement. Some thing stinks in SC.
If you have any further questions I will be glad to elaborate, I will not state any names. just looking to end this 2-1/2 year hell that could have been so easily avoided if the investigating oficers at least did there job. I don't think its fair to her or her children that the truth of the situation was discarded so easily. It is appalling my tax dollars and all the police officer fund that i sent $$ in was put to this kind of slack work. I feel jipped and ripped off.

edit:
my civil attorney said to bring the stuff to the solicitors, when i told him what happened he said he'd look into it...but he got his money so why should he bother with me now. BTW they settled in my favor on the case due to the evidence. both lawyers on both sides said this was one of the worst investagting they have ever seen in accident involving a death. and have little doubt he was drinking. but so much for anything happening with that thanks to county of charlestons fine accident investigators. My lawyer said if they did there job this would not have been drug this out on me for 2-1/2 yrs. It would been open close...but nope. had to rub salt in the worst day of my life for 2-1/2 yrs.
 
Last edited:


Hot Topic

Senior Member
The lawyer was sympathetic, but how does his sympathy help you now unless he offers to file suit on behalf of you and your late wife, which apparently he hasn't done?
 

SCdawg

Junior Member
He filed suit we settled out of court, my problem is that the case was closed and the person who was seen and is alleged to be the driver...nothing is happening. They screwed up the investigation. They did not follow SC procedure. I am not sure how to have the case re opened and can't seem to find any info giving me the path in the right direction. Thus why I am here. I am looking for info on what can be done about it. If this person was driving and killed my wife..why does he get to walk? The setlement came from my insurance company...he didn't even get a speeding ticket or careless driving he just walked away and left my wifes body on the side of the road and the cops let him.
I think my wife even though dead deserved a little more from the investigating officers. At the very least a dept. reprimand is more than in order. This was a mistake and they should at least try to correct it.
No I am not suing the police dept. they can't be anyway. from what i'm told they are immune in this state from it. As far as suing the alleged driver, thats settled and over with on a civil end, but there are criminal elements to this and THATS what I'm trying to pursue. I want the superiors know there investigating team messed up and want that guy to not just walk becuase the police are too lazy to do there job we pay them for. This is a travesty of justice that can easily be made right if i could get some cooperation. I can't even find out who i can give this info to to at least show there is a def. mistake, I'm just being stone walled. I need help..but why should i pay a lawyer to drop off papers that could cuase the case to be reopened. Its insane how the police system works down there..makes me wonder..these people are the ones that are supposed to protect and serve? They let this guy walk without so much as a second look, He could easily do it again now that he got away with it once. and where is my service? my family was the victim here and they didn't even do that right. I'm so frustrated I just wish it was as simple as the lawyer said "drop it off at the solicitors"...

Do I have to file a formal complaint against the officers? Do I write my senators and stuff? I mean that wil cause a stir, but might just make it too ugly and defeat the purpose of what i really want to happen....some mistakes brought to light and fixes made where they are needed.
 
Last edited:

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top