Florida residents will be saddened to hear of a tragic accident that resulted in the death of an elderly woman who had just celebrated 65 years of marriage with her husband. Now the Palm Beach County man is mourning the loss of his beloved wife.

The husband and wife were on their way home from the dentist's office when the fatal accident occurred. Reportedly, the crash happened when the husband and wife were only a few minutes away from their Boynton Beach home.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, an 18-year-old driving an SUV ran a red light at Old Boynton Road at about 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. The SUV then slammed into the Hyundai driven by the elderly couple.

The 82-year-old woman in the Hyundai was taken to Delray Medical Center but died six days later. Her 85-year-old husband, who is a World War II veteran, survived the accident. At the time of local news reports, the man was recovering at a rehabilitation center. His wife is also survived by five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, all of whom will go through this holiday season without her for the first time.

The sheriff's office reports that criminal charges against the 18-year-old driver are pending after the results of a toxicology report, suggesting that alcohol or drugs may have been factors in the accident. However, even if the toxicology report comes back negative, the fact that the young man ran a red light and caused an accident that led to a fatality could result in further charges of negligence or reckless driving. If negligence is found to be a factor the accident, the surviving family members may have cause for a wrongful death claim. While filing such a claim can never erase the grief of losing a loved one, family members can seek some measure of solace through compensation for any medical bills or pain and suffering that may have resulted from this tragic car accident.

Source: The Sun-Sentinel, "West Boynton great-grandmother dies from crash injuries," Erika Pesantes, Dec. 15, 2011