Car Accident Round-Up: Students Killed in Wrong Way Crash

Woman slams head-on into vehicle after traveling seven miles in the oncoming lane in fatal car accident

Four Die in Wrong-Way Accident in Ohio
A 69-year-old woman traveled over seven miles the wrong direction on I-75 near Toledo, Ohio, before slamming head-on into a car carrying five college students.  The woman and three of the college students died in the Friday morning accident.  The two other college students were seriously injured.  A caravan of four cars was carrying 16 Bowling Green State University students to the airport for a spring break vacation in the Dominican Republic.  Police are investigating to determine why the woman was on the wrong side of the road.

Police Chase Leads to Fatal Car Crash in Pennsylvania
A driver and his passenger died early Monday morning when their car crashed into a wall in Wilkinsburg, PA after a police chase.  […]

NHTSA Delays Ruling on Making Back-Up Cameras Mandatory

At the end of 2010 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it was considering a proposal to require all passenger vehicles to install back-up cameras to limit back-over accidents.  Last week, however, the NHTSA announced it has postponed ruling on the mandatory requirements saying it needs to conduct “further study and data analysis.”

The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act was named for a child who was killed by his father as he was backing out of his driveway not realizing the two-year-old boy was playing behind the vehicle.   The ruling would be especially beneficial in protecting the lives of children, the elderly, and hearing and sight impaired pedestrians.

At the time the change was recommended, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said:  “There is no more tragic accident than for a parent or caregiver to back out of a garage or driveway and kill or injure an undetected child playing behind the vehicle. […]

Car Accident Round-Up: Fatal Nine-Car Accident in CA

Three dead, 10 injured in car accident caused by woman suspected of being drunk

Nine Car Accident Leaves Three Dead in CA DUI Accident
A nine-car crash in Monterey County, CA left three people dead and approximately 10 people injured, two seriously. According to police, the Wednesday evening accident occurred when a woman suspected of drunk driving reached for her cell phone and crossed the center line in her SUV, striking a Volkswagen head-on. Three occupants of the Volkswagen died and a fourth was seriously injured. After the two vehicles crashed, another seven cars were involved in a chain-reaction crash.  The occupants of the Volkswagen and those in another car following them were returning from a funeral in King City.  The pileup occurred on Highway 101 near King City, CA.

Man Dies Crossing Street at Busy Philadelphia Intersection
A 77-year-old man crossing the road at Henry Avenue and School House Lane in the East Falls section of Philadelphia was struck by a vehicle last week.  […]

Weekend Multi-Vehicle Accidents Shut Down PA Interstates

A rash of multi-vehicle accidents shut down portions of I-79 and I-80 Saturday leaving hundreds of motorists stranded for hours.  The accidents were attributed to the winter weather and near white-out conditions.  The Weather Channel reported there was a visibility of just one quarter-mile with heavy snow falling and winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour at the time of the accidents.

A 20-vehicle pileup on I-80 in Venango County, just east of the I-79/I-80 interchange near Franklin, PA, left three people dead and at least six people injured. The interstate was shut down for hours as police and rescue workers cleared the wreckage.  At one point traffic was backed up for over 13 miles.  School buses and rescue squad vehicles were used to bring nearly 75 stranded motorists to the Clintonville fire hall where they could eat and stay warm.  That accident occurred around 3:45 p.m. […]

Car Accident Round-Up: Policeman Dies in PA Car Chase

Suspect of previous hit-and-run arrested for suspected vehicular homicide in car accident

Pennsylvania Car Chase Leads to Policeman’s Death
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, police stopped a 35-year-old man suspected of an earlier hit-and-run accident in Granville, WV early Saturday morning.  The man refused to get out of his car, and drove off leading police on a car chase into Pennsylvania.  A WV police sergeant had pulled his SUV off the road on I-79 near the one-mile marker in PA and was ready to assist in stopping the vehicle when the suspect crashed into the SUV. The policeman was taken to the nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of homicide by vehicle while police await toxicology test results.  Police believe the man was driving drunk and taking prescription anti-anxiety drugs.

Three U.S. Marines Die in CA Car Accident, […]

Alcohol-Related Crash in PA Kills WV Policeman

Police officer killed by drunk driver in crash during car chase

A man fleeing police led them on a chase from West Virginia into Pennsylvania where the suspect slammed into a police cruiser, killing 41-year-old Monongalia County, WV Sgt. Michael Todd May.  According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the suspect was arrested on suspicion of homicide by vehicle, and police are awaiting BAC test results.  Police believe the man was driving drunk and taking prescription anti-anxiety drugs.

The Saturday morning accident occurred after police stopped a 35-year-old man suspected of an earlier hit-and-run accident.  Instead of getting out of the car, the man drove off.  May had pulled his SUV off the road on I-79 near the one-mile marker and was ready to assist in stopping the vehicle when the suspect crashed into him.

May leaves behind his parents and a younger brother. […]

Pennsylvania Teen Drivers Urged to Stay Alert

The start of 2012 has seen far too many teens lose their lives in car accidents.  Just last week a local Pennsylvania teen died when his car skidded on ice and he crashed into a building, dying at the scene. Earlier this month, three teenagers traveling together went the wrong way on a MD road resulting in a crash that killed all three.  And in Virginia at the end of January, one teen died and three others were seriously injured when the teen driver crossed the center line striking another vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car accidents are the number one killer of teenagers in the United States, claiming nearly 5,600 teenage lives each year. While the above accidents are all unique, the cause of each of the accidents may not have been that different.  The NHTSA has identified four primary causes for serious teen injury accidents:  inexperience and immaturity combined with speed, […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Wrong-Way Crash in Louisiana

Jeep drives in the oncoming lane and crashes head-on into car, killing five in tragic car accident

Head-On Accident in New Orleans Kills Five
CBS News reports a driver heading the wrong way on I-10 near New Orleans, Louisiana crashed head-on into another car around 3 a.m. Friday leaving five people dead.  The driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-10 when he crashed into the other vehicle.  The Jeep burst into flames upon impact, killing the driver, and lone occupant, as well as all four occupants in the other vehicle.  Two other vehicles were involved in the accident, but no injuries were reported. The westbound lanes were closed for nearly five hours as crews cleared the accident scene.  Police are continuing to investigate.

Pennsylvania Teen Dies in Car Crash
A 19-year-old teen was on his way home from the mall sometime after 8 p.m. […]

PA Car Accident Serves as Child Safety Reminder

A PA car accident earlier this month in Nicholson Township, about 25 miles outside of Scranton, PA, left a man and his 3-year-old daughter dead.  According to an article in the Times-Tribune, the man, who was driving a pickup truck, crossed the center line on West Nicholson Road and struck another pickup head-on.  The police report that while the father was wearing a seat belt, the toddler was not in either a child-safety seat or in a seat belt.  The girl and her father were both pronounced dead at the scene from “massive traumatic” injuries.

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have seen the devastation that car crashes can cause, and we know that sometimes restraints cannot protect the lives of those in accidents. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that when properly restrained infants have a 71% greater chance of surviving a car crash and toddlers have a 54 percent decrease in the risk of death. […]

Car Accident Report – Car Accidents Claim Lives

Fatal car accidents around the country

Father and Child Die in Pennsylvania Head-On Accident
A Wednesday night crash in Nicholson Township, about 25 miles outside of Scranton, PA, left a man and his 3-year-old daughter dead.  The Times-Tribune reports the deceased man was driving a Chevy Silverado when he apparently crossed the center line on West Nicholson Road and struck a Dodge pickup head-on.  The driver of the Dodge was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and was later released.  The police report the child was not restrained in the vehicle and died from “massive traumatic” injuries. She and her father were both pronounced dead at the scene. Police are continuing to investigate the accident.

Chain-Reaction Accident in CT Caused by Drugged Driver
Police in Norwalk, CT say a woman who was on a day-long crack binge, and was fleeing officers, […]

Car Accident Report –Three MD Teens Die

Teen driver drifts into oncoming lane causing fatal head-on car accident

Four Die in Wrong-Way MD Crash
A sedan carrying three teenagers traveled the wrong way, against traffic, on Route 50 in Anne Arundel County, MD, leading to a crash resulting in four fatalities. The 19-year-old driver of the car crashed head-on into another car, killing the teen and both teenaged passengers, as well as the driver of the other car.  The police are continuing to investigate the crash and are relying on 911 tapes, where other drivers reported the wrong-way vehicle, and witnesses for information.  The accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

One Teen Dies, Three Injured in Ohio Accident
A Waynesville, OH automobile accident last Thursday left one teenager dead and three others injured.  The vehicle in which the teen was traveling was struck by a Chevy Blazer at the intersection of South Main St. […]

Car Accident Round-Up – SC Car Crash Kills Four

Car caught fire, however coroner reports victims were killed upon impact

Four Die in Fiery South Carolina Car Crash
Four friends died in a fiery car crash around 5 a.m. last Wednesday morning in Columbia, South Carolina.  The four, who had been out celebrating a birthday, were traveling together in a Dodge Charger on George Rogers Boulevard when their car slammed into the Farm Bureau Insurance building at the Shop Road intersection.  The car became engulfed in flames, but the coroner reports the four died upon impact. The friends were in their early 20’s.  Police are continuing to investigate the accident, however, they believe speed and alcohol may have been contributing factors in the accident.

One Teen Dies, Four Injured in VA Accident
A five-car accident Monday afternoon near Rocky Mount, Virginia has claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy and left three other teens and an adult injured.  […]

Munley Supports Ban on Cell Phones While Driving

Pennsylvania car accident attorney Caroline Munley today applauded a federal agency’s recommendation for the prohibition of cell phone use by drivers of all personal and commercial vehicles.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in December that all drivers be prohibited from using cell phones and other electronic devices behind the wheel.

The proposal grew from the NTSB’s investigation of a multi-vehicle collision in Missouri in 2010 that was caused by a pickup truck driver who was distracted by a text-messaging conversation. The wreck killed two and injured 38.

“We support the NTSB’s recommendation for a complete ban on cell phone use by drivers of all motor vehicles,” said Munley of the Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., which represents victims of car crashes and truck accidents throughout the Northeast. […]

Florida Company Sued in Car Accident Over Driver’s Poor Record

According to NaplesNews.com, the parents of a teen who died in a vehicle accident as he and others were being driven back to their school after competing in a flag football game have filed a lawsuit against the driver’s estate and his employer.  The driver had a poor driving record with over 18 tickets, and the lawsuit alleges the company should not have allowed the man to drive the students.

The accident occurred last month when the driver lost control as he approached a 90-degree turn on Wagon Wheel Road, about three miles west of Turner River Road in Ochopee, Florida.  The vehicle struck a traffic sign and flipped into a canal.  The driver and the teenager died in the accident.  The six other passengers suffered minor injuries.

The lawsuit points out that the driver’s license had been suspended six times, and on the night of the accident his license had been suspended three months.   […]

Minnesota Family Seeks Damages in Fatal Car Crash

The trustee of a teenager who died in a car crash near Claremont, MN, in 2010 is suing the driver and father of the car the teen rear-ended.  The lawsuit seeks compensation for loss of aid, medical expenses and funeral expenses, as well as other compensation, according to the PostBulletin.com.

The deceased teen was in the second car traveling in a “caravan” of four cars on their way to a football game.  When the driver of the lead car came upon a deer in the roadway he slammed on his brakes causing a chain-reaction collision.  The injuries the teen sustained in the accident were fatal.

The lawsuit alleges the driver of the lead car was driving too fast and should have tapped his brakes to warn those following him of the obstacle in the road.

The suit seeks over $100,000, including $50,000 for “the loss of aid, […]

Massive Pile-up on I-10 Leaves Two Dead, Dozens Injured

Poor visibility may be the cause of 40 car pile-up on I-10

Deadly Louisiana Accident Closes Road for More Than Twelve Hours
A massive pile-up on I-10 near New Orleans, LA early in the morning last Thursday left two people dead and dozens more injured. According to WWLTV.com, the crash involved over 40 vehicles and took investigators, emergency responders and clean up crew over 12 hours to clear the wreckage and reopen the highway.  Twenty-five people were hospitalized, several critical, and 37 others were injured but were treated at the scene. Poor visibility due to fog or smoke may be to blame. 

GA Trooper Crashes into SUV Leaving One Dead
A Georgia state trooper rushing to help another policeman ran through a red light and crashed into an SUV near Atlanta, Georgia on New Year’s Eve.  The collision that occurred at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and Memorial Drive killed the wife of the Atlanta Braves head trainer and injured him, […]

Four Men Die in Christmas Day Car Crash

Police suspect speeding during suboptimal conditions to be the cause of crash

Deadly Maine Accident Leaves Four Dead
A tragic Christmas Day car crash in Palermo, Maine, left four men dead – two brothers in one vehicle, and a man and his father-in-law in another.  The Bangor Daily News reports the two brothers were traveling on Route 3 in an SUV that apparently lost control and skidded sideways into the path of the other car, which struck the SUV broadside. All four men died at the scene.  Police are continuing to investigate, but believe the SUV was traveling too fast for conditions after a light snow dusted the roadway.  The brothers were aged 18 and 21-years-old.  The two men were 64 and 83-years-old. 

Two Teens Die in Florida Accident
Two teenagers, both 18-years-old, died in a Sunday evening car crash in Bradenton, FL, according to My Fox Tampa Bay.  […]

Car Accident Round-Up – PA Teen Dies After Being Struck by Car on Way to Bus

13-year-old killed, 17-year-old injured in car accident while trying to catch the school bus

PA Girl Dies After Being Struck by Car
The Erie Times-News reports a 13-year-old girl died and a 17-year-old was injured Tuesday morning after being struck by a car as they crossed Perry Highway to catch a school bus.  The 19-year-old driver of a Chevrolet Cavalier traveling north on Perry Highway failed to stop for the school bus that was stopped in the southbound lane with its lights flashing and hit the two students.   The 13-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.  The condition of the other teen was not released.  The police are continuing to investigate the accident.

Four Injured in Florida Accident
Four people were seriously injured in a two-car crash in St. Augustine, FL Monday night. The accident, on Florida 16 at Whisper Ridge Drive in St. […]

California Family Settles Civil Suit in Vehicular Manslaughter Case

Family receives undisclosed amount of money in vehicular manslaughter case settlement

The Modesto Bee reports the family of a California man who died when he was maliciously struck by a car has been awarded an undisclosed amount of money in a civil lawsuit.  The man’s family sought compensation for wrongful death, loss of financial support, and payment for his funeral expenses.

The lawsuit was brought after the criminal case concluded June 14, 2010, with a jury conviction for felony hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the 2008 attack.  The deceased was found near his north Modesto house after he was hit by a car “with enough force to throw him onto the hood of his car, then off the roof,” according to testimony in the criminal case.  Apparently, the attack was over loud music.

The defense attorney argued that the man acted in self-defense from a drunk and angry man who approached the other man’s vehicle and began climbing up the hood. […]

Car Accident Round-Up – Fatal Accidents Throughout East Coast

Car accidents include death of Ithaca College student

PA Accident Takes Life of College Student
The Scranton Times Tribune reports a 20-year-old driver died in a fiery wreck on I-81 Saturday.  The accident occurred near mile-marker 211 in Susquehanna County, PA around 2:30 a.m. as the young man passed through the state on his way to Ithaca College. The car went off the right side of the highway then hit a rock embankment before coming to rest on the highway’s shoulder on the driver’s side of the car.  The vehicle became engulfed in flames.  The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. 

NC Legislator Involved in Fatal Car Accident
One man is dead and a North Carolina state legislator is in critical condition after their two cars collided late Friday night in Winston-Salem, NC.  Police report that the 70-year-old NC representative, […]