Dead Woman Received Bill for Highway Repairs Caused by Her Fatal Accident

A dead woman received a bill from the State of Maryland. The State Highway Administration sent her a bill for the damage her vehicle did to a guardrail when she lost control and was killed. The bill is for $640.71 for the May 29, 2011 accident.

It seems that the State of Maryland sends bills to drivers who have had non-fatal accidents. They get a bill to repair the damage that they caused. That seems fair. But in the case of Sarah Marie Stebbins, there shouldn't have been a bill sent as they do not send bills if the accident resulted in a fatality. In the case of Sarah Marie Stebbins, she was the only one in the vehicle and she was a fatality.

The bill for her damages went to the home of her parents, but addressed to Sarah. Since Sarah is dead her mother opened the letter. Not only was there a bill, there was a copy of the accident report. Needless to say she was extremely upset. She said she had no desire to read a report regarding her daughter's accident. She also noted that the accident report indicated right on the top that it was a fatality.

This couple lost their daughter in an accident and then they get a letter basically demanding payment within 30 days or it will be sent to a collection agency. That is enough to push someone over the edge. It seems that her parents also just learned that Sarah was texting at the time. They had previously known that she was not wearing a seat belt.

The Stebbins are upset, as can be expected. The bill for damages along with the accident report has made it even more difficult for them to get over the death of their daughter.

The Highway Administration has apologized to the family and made it clear that they do not owe any money. They also made it clear that they will do everything possible so that this does not happen again to another family.

Texting while driving can kill, it killed Sarah Marie Stebbins. Young people, and some older people, think that nothing will ever happen to them. When Sarah was texting you can bet she wasn't thinking that she could get killed doing it. Sarah was just 21-years-old with a lifetime ahead of her.

Don't let your parents be the ones left behind to deal with the loss. Don't text and drive, and please wear your seatbelt. Not only is it a law, it's the smart thing to do.

Source:

The Baltimore Sun