Car Accident Round-Up – Deadly Crashes Around the U.S.

Fatal car accidents around the US remind us to wear a seatbelt

Seven Family Members Injured, One Dies in Hit-and-Run Rollover Accident
An SUV carrying a family of nine traveling on I-80 near Cheyenne, Wyoming, was rear-ended by another vehicle resulting in a rollover accident.  Upon impact, the SUV went off the road and rolled over.  All of the occupants of the SUV were ejected, except the driver.  A six-year-old died in the crash and seven others were injured. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene, but was apprehended later. The accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Friday morning as the family traveled from Chicago, IL to California.

Two Die in I-95 Accident in FL
The Florida News Journal reports two men are dead after an accident on I-95 in Palm Bay, Florida.  The men were traveling near mile marker 168 in a Volkswagen Jetta when their vehicle rear-ended another car.  […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Urged to Slow Down

Many of our articles have focused on the dangers of distracted driving and drunk driving.  However, with key safety campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the hazards of these two dangerous behaviors, drivers are beginning to put down their cell phones and drive only when sober.  Now, according to a new study, speed-related crashes are on the rise.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that 31 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States in 2010 were caused by a speeding driver.  Further, speeding is the “one highway safety area where progress has not been made in almost three decades.”

According to the 2010 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics, 1,324 people died in auto accidents during the year.  Of those, 459 were alcohol-related and 404 were speed-related.  Just as the GSHA reports of the nationwide data, […]

Widows Sue PA Bars for Serving Drunk Driver

July 1, 2011, two men leading the Last Chance Motorcycle Club, a group of riders who have overcome alcohol and drug addictions, were ironically struck head-on by a drunk driver, resulting in the death of two men and injuries to four others.  Now, the injured men and the widows of the deceased men have filed a lawsuit against the driver responsible and three bars that served alcohol to the drunk driver.

The group of motorcyclists was traveling from New Jersey to a friend’s funeral in Pennsylvania.  As they traveled on Route 512 in Bangor, PA, a pickup made a wide turn, crossed the center line and plowed head-on into the group traveling in the opposite direction. The driver was charged with vehicular homicide while driving drunk and aggravated assault.

Under Pennsylvania’s “dram shop law,” business owners can be held liable for the sale of alcohol to patrons who are clearly and visibly intoxicated. […]

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.” […]