Driver Gets 15 Months In Prison For Horry County Collision That Killed Motorcyclist

Rear-end collisions are among the most common types of traffic accidents, but they are not the most likely to result in severe injuries.  Even in cases where the rear driver was distracted and was late in applying the brakes, the vehicles involved usually are not traveling at high speed.  Most rear-end collisions take place near intersections with traffic lights, and if they happen on highways where there are no traffic lights, it is usually in heavy traffic where the vehicles are not moving very fast.  Several factors can increase the risk of catastrophic consequences of a rear end collision, however.  For example, if the vehicles are traveling at high speed, then the risk of serious injuries increases.  Likewise, the risk of catastrophic injury is always greater for motorcyclists than it is for the occupants of cars.  If you got injured in a rear end collision while you were riding your motorcycle, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

Driver Did Not Remain at the Scene After Rear-End Collision on Highway 9

The accident occurred at about 9:00 in the evening on August 29, 2020.  Charles Mechling of Little River was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle on Highway 9 in Horry County.  While Mechling was riding in the southbound lanes near the intersection with G.P. Smith Avenue, a car struck his motorcycle from behind and then left the scene.  Mechling died of his injuries shortly after the accident.  He was 54 years old.

Police later identified Justin Lindsay, who was 20 years old at the time of the collision, as the at fault driver.  Lindsay was charged with hit and run resulting in death, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for a conviction.  He originally pleaded not guilty, and the court scheduled a trial.  Before the trial could begin, however, Lindsay changed his plea to guilty, and the court left his sentence to the discretion of the judge.  On January 23, the judge sentenced Lindsay to 15 months in prison.  News reports did not give any details about the factors that determined Lindsay’s sentence, but defendants who plead guilty tend to receive lighter sentences than defendants found guilty at trial.  For Lindsay to receive a sentence that includes less than 10 percent of the maximum possible prison time may indicate that he does not have a prior criminal record and that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision.

News sources did not indicate whether Mechling’s surviving relatives have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lindsay, although they have a legal right to do so.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in which the driver left the scene after striking your motorcycle.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/horry-county/lumberton-man-gets-15-months-for-2020-hit-and-run-death-in-horry-county/

wbtw.com/news/20-year-old-charged-in-hit-and-run-that-killed-harley-davidson-rider-from-little-river/