The family of a Maryland man who died after a car struck him in a Seven Corners parking lot is seeking justice.
Albert Sweat, 62, of Silver Spring, was killed on Thursday (Aug. 18) after two cars that were merging into the same lane collided in Wilson Blvd, Fairfax County police reported.
The driver of a 2012 Honda Civic attempted to change from the left lane to the right at the same time that the driver of a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta went from the right to the left lane. Both cars collided, causing the Volkswagen to veer off the roadway into the parking lot.
The Volkswagen hit Sweat, a construction foreman who was walking through the parking lot in the 6200 block of Arlington Blvd. The car also hit a median and an occupied 2010 GMC Yukon.
The police department is continuing to investigate the details of the crash to determine if charges will be pursued.
Family members say they want justice for Sweat, who will be remembered for his love of music — including teaching the art to his children — and his kind and loving personality.
Jean Sweat, his eldest sister, says the incident is best described as “vehicular manslaughter.”
“Because of two irresponsible drivers…his kids will grow up without a father around. As a husband, brother, father and uncle, he will truly be missed. His demise should not be in vain,” Jean Sweat said.
He leaves behind his wife and eight children, two of which are from a previous marriage.
His niece, Tierra Sweat, said Albert was in the area working to secure a contract for a gazebo he planned to build. He was killed in front of a guitar store — a bitter irony given his love for music.
According to Tierra, crash witnesses indicated that the intersection where the crash occurred is prone to accidents.
“There is a clear problem in that intersection that needs to be addressed,” she said.
So far, police do not believe that alcohol or speed were a factor in the crash.
Still, Tierra hopes that some change can come out of her uncle’s untimely death — whether it is fines or new traffic laws or an assessment of crashes in that area.
“This was just negligence and heinous,” she said.