Whatever happened after November 8, 2009?

Often times I write a blog about some car accident and then wonder what happened to those involved in the accident. I wrote "Head-On Collision in Clayton County, Iowa" almost a year to the day. It was on my birthday that the accident happened and two days later I blogged about the 41-year-old man that died and the young woman who drove across the center line and whose passenger survived. She also survived. He was 18 and she was 21-years-old. Forget the questions about why she crossed over the center line of U.S. Highway 52 at 5:45 a.m. and what they were doing up at that time. I wonder about things like the other driver's family and how they are surviving and how they coped with his death. He was a Zuercher and the news article didn't say if he was a married man with a family. Just that he hadn't survived the crash. I grew up having buried my father when I was a young teen and so the pain of a parent's death is pretty real to me. I know the questions, those without a clear or satisfactory answer that linger months and years after the bending metal and breaking glass are no longer being heard.

And what about the other driver? What were the aspirations of the young driver, and did she ever get over what had happened? Is she moving on with her life and making amends with herself.

The news story didn't say much about the passenger, just that he was an 18-year-old named Coedy and he survived. There was no mention of whether he was a student or not. Nothing about his condition after the accident and whether the collision itself cause him any long term affects.

Those are the questions muddling around in my mind and at times like now at 3:00 a.m. I'm wrestling with thinking and worrying about my own clients whose lives have been overturned with economic challenges brought on by a car accident. These aren't people lawyers that write blogs hear from. Many think we care only about making money while handling the case, and while money is important sometime knowing is more important; at least to some of us. So whatever happened to the two in the Austin car and the surviving family of the Zuercher vehicle hopefully they've been able to move on.

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1 Person Dies in Northeast Iowa Traffic Crash

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Lee Zuercher, 41, of Holy Cross, died in a traffic crash on Nov. 8, 2009 on Highway 52 south of Millville, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

Two other people were injured. They are:
COEDY ZUERCHER, 18, OF HOLY CROSS
SARAH AUSTIN, 21, OF LUANA (DRIVER OF VEHICLE 1)

Here's what happened, according to the patrol:
VEHICLE 1 WAS SOUTHBOUND, CROSSED THE CENTER LINE COLLIDING WITH VEHICLE 2 (DRIVEN BY LEE ZUERCHER), NORTHBOUND, HEAD ON.

VEHICLE 1 RESTED FACING WEST IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE, VEHICLE 2 RESTED IN THE EAST DITCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FACING SOUTH.

THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.