Category: Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

The weekend was a particularly deadly one on Nashville-area roads. Two separate crashes claimed five lives on Saturday.

The first fatal car accident occurred after 6 a.m. on Middlebrook Pike near Weisbarger Road. A Toyota Camry apparently entered the center median and hit a tree, killing the 24-year-old driver and his 17-year-old passenger.

The second accident, which happened about 20 minutes later on Wears Valley Road, was perhaps even more horrific. In that accident, the driver of a Ford Ranger crossed the center line and collided with a Honda Civic head-on.

A firefighter happened to pass by on the way to work and encountered the accident, which he called a “scene of devastation.” Most of the victims had to be extricated from the vehicles, a process that took over an hour and 15 minutes in all. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 26-year-old driver of the Honda was killed in the accident, as were two of his backseat passengers, ages 57 and 52, respectively. All were from out of state.

The driver of the Ranger and a front seat passenger in the Honda were airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The driver of the Ranger was reportedly listed in critical condition.

It’s not entirely clear what caused the crash, but alcohol is not believed to be a factor, police say. Citations and possible criminal charges are pending against the driver of the Ranger, who is the son of the Blount County Highway superintendent.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “Three killed in head-on collision in Sevier County,” Lance Coleman, July 7, 2012

When people try to evade police, they are putting themselves at risk. Not only could they be later facing legal consequences, but traveling at high speeds may endanger their own lives. Sadly, it’s not all that uncommon.

Two Tennessee men were killed in a car accident in Loudoun County earlier this week when a police chase turned deadly. The chain of events was apparently set off by a report of two burglaries in the area.

Officers were reportedly searching for a Chevy bronze pickup truck that was involved in the burglaries. An officer responding to an alarm at one of the burglarized businesses, Good Fellas Tobacco and Beer Outlet, on Highway 72, spotted the pickup. He called other officers, who took off after the truck. That’s when the chase ensued.

The driver of the Chevy truck would not pull over and ultimately crashed after a couple of miles when the driver lost control. The 45-year-old driver was killed, as was a 31-year-old passenger. Another passenger was injured and taken to a nearby hospital.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol was investigating the accident, but there doesn’t appear to be any wrongdoing by the police officers, at least according to the police chief. He says that the incident was reviewed and that the officers’ actions were in accordance with policies in the department.

The police officers were not injured in the incident. News reports didn’t indicate the condition of the injured passenger, who was recovering at UT Medical Center.

Source: WBIR, “Loudon officers involved in fatal pursuit ‘acted appropriately’,” June 5, 2012

Running out of gas is an annoyance, but it’s usually not dangerous. However, when people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, tragedy can strike. That’s especially true when other drivers approach the area in a reckless manner. That appears to be what happened in a fatal accident in Knoxville early yesterday morning.

Two women, one of whom was several months pregnant, apparently ran out of gas outside a man’s Knoxville residence on Washington Pike at about 2 a.m. They sought help from the man, who got them some gas and fueled up their car.

The women hugged the man as a thank-you just as they were about to leave. Just then, a Ford SUV came barreling down the road at a high speed and crashed into the man and the pregnant woman. The other woman avoided being hit.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and the woman’s unborn child did not survive either. The driver of the SUV, meanwhile, fled after striking them.

It’s not clear yet exactly how, but officers found the SUV yesterday and were able to identify the driver. They indicated they would issue arrest warrants once they finished processing the vehicle. Authorities won’t publicly identify the driver until he is arrested, but that appears imminent. The man has already hired an attorney to represent him, according to reports.

It’s not known what charges he could be facing, but they will likely be serious.

Source: Local 8 Online, “Police find driver, SUV in deadly hit and run,” May 30, 2012

According to federal statistics, fewer people are dying in fatal car accidents on U.S. highways than ever before, or at least since records were first tallied back in 1921. While a number of factors are at play, the biggest is perhaps car safety and technology.

U.S. highway traffic deaths have fallen by about 25 percent since 2005. That’s a sharp decrease in a short number of years. As new technology is introduced into more and more new vehicles, the number of deaths will likely continue to fall.

It’s not often that the federal government mandates changes to all vehicles, such as when the seatbelt was first required about 40 years ago. However, last year, electronic stability control was added as a requirement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Rear cameras are becoming more popular and may be added to the list as well.

Generally, there are two types of technology at play here: active and passive.

Active technology is designed to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. Examples include active lane keeping, forward collision avoidance and blind spot monitoring. It used to be that only the most upscale models of vehicles would offer features of this kind voluntarily. However, now we’re seeing more advanced features available in even entry level models of cars. That not only reflects companies’ need to compete, but more affordable electronic hardware.

Passive technology, too, is becoming more and more mainstream. It’s intended to reduce accidents when an accident does occur. Many vehicles offer multiple air bags, while some are rolling out inflatable seatbelts that can particularly aid very old and very young passengers who are prone to internal injuries.

Passive and active technology are clearly succeeding in reducing the number of deadly accidents, as evidenced by the most recent numbers.

Source: MSNBC, “Highway deaths plunging as cars become safer,” Paul A. Eisenstein, May 22, 2012

When people leave the scene of a serious car crash, they are often putting the lives of others in danger and complicating police and accident investigations.

A crash in Knoxville that left a passenger dead earlier this month has resulted in the arrest of the driver, who apparently fled the scene on foot. The fatal car accident happened on Castle Street last week, according to the Knoxville Police Department.

The man was apparently driving a Nissan Altima north on Castle Street, while a Ford vehicle was traveling in the opposite direction. The driver of the Ford apparently noticed that the Nissan was swerving back and forth across both lanes. The vehicles collided head-on in the northbound lane of the road, and the driver of the Nissan apparently fled on foot. A large bag of marijuana was later found in the car.

A 23-year-old front-seat passenger in the Nissan died in the wreck. Two other passengers in that vehicle, ages 22 and 23, respectively, were treated at University of Tennessee Medical Center. They were later released.

The 73-year-old driver of the Ford and his passenger was also injured in the crash. They were also treated and released from the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

The driver of the Nissan, meanwhile, was wanted for questioning by police. He reportedly turned himself in over the weekend, and police say charges are likely to be filed against him for his role in the accident.

Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, “Man believed to have been involved in fatal crash surrenders to police,” Lance Coleman, May 19, 2012

Speeding and alcohol certainly do not mix. Police suspect that both were involved in a crash that left one man dead and his passengers and another driver injured.

The fatal car accident occurred near Strawberry Plains late last week. A 26-year-old man was driving a car with two other passengers. He apparently lost control of the vehicle, crossed a median and hit a semi head-on.

He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car. He died at the scene. His passengers, ages 22 and 16, respectively, sustained injuries and were taken to a local hospital. According to WBIR, the passengers were wearing seatbelts, which may have saved them from more serious injuries. Their conditions were not immediately released after the crash. They are apparently cousins and are from Dandridge.

The 54-year-old driver of the tractor trailer, which was hauling wire for Multi Group Logistics, is lucky to have escaped serious injury. Due to the impact of the crash, the tractor trailer flipped over and caught fire, but he managed to free himself from the wreckage. A video posted to WBIR’s website shows emergency crews responding to the scene. The totaled semi truck appears badly burned. The truck driver, who is from out of state, was treated for minor injuries at UT Medical Center and released.

Police say that they suspect alcohol and speeding were factors in the accident, but have not elaborated. The driver who died was from Springfield.

Source: WBIR, “Alcohol, speeding suspected in late night fatal crash,” May 4, 2012

Four wheelers are meant to be recreational vehicles, but all too often they are the center of fatal accidents. Part of the problem is that those riding all-terrain vehicles are more vulnerable and exposed if a vehicle crashes.

A deadly ATV crash in Tennessee last week left a woman dead. Now the driver is facing various charges, including DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

The crash happened on Wednesday evening at about 9 p.m. The driver of the ATV apparently lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road and crashed into a ditch and overturned. According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, neither the driver nor the passenger was wearing a helmet.

The 45-year-old driver, who was injured in the crash, apparently left the scene. Authorities later located him at his home. From there, he was transported to a hospital by an ambulance. The passenger, a 42-year-old woman, was declared dead at the scene. It’s not clear if she survived for a time or died instantly. Authorities did say that an autopsy was to be conducted.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Incident Response Team was called in to reconstruct the accident, according to the Paris Post Intelligencer, while the Criminal Investigations Division was looking into the cause of the accident.

The driver of the four wheeler was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. It’s believed that both he and the passenger were drinking prior to the fatal crash.

Source: Paris Post Intelligencer, “Henry County woman killed in ATV accident; driver arrested,” Ron Park, March 30, 2012

Recently we shared a post about predictors of when teens could be involved in car crashes. Now a new study is suggesting that teen traffic deaths actually increased in the U.S. in the first half of 2011. If the numbers stayed that way in the second half of the year, it would be the first such yearly increase in several years.

Safety advocates are concerned with the numbers, and for good reason. There were 211 fatal car accidents involving teenager drivers in the first half of 2011. According to a New York Times article, fatal crashes involving 16-year-olds increased from 80 to 93 when compared with the year before. There were 118 deadly accidents involving 17-year-old drivers, up from 110 compared to the first half of 2010.

So, why is this happening after so many years of decline? One possible explanation is the improving economy. While the tough economy may have prevented some teens from paying to get their license or from purchasing gas, the gradual turnaround could mean that more teens are driving regularly for the first time.

A chief scientist with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also believes the effects of graduated licensing laws, which are designed to protect teens, may be wearing off. He views the new data as a “wake-up call” to the states that saw an increase in teen traffic deaths. Overall, 23 states reported increases, while 19 saw decreases and eight reported no change.

More could be done, the scientist says, noting that every state could institute improvements that would help protect teen drivers.

Source: New York Times, “Fatalities among teenage drivers rose in first half of 2011, study finds,” Tanya Mohn, Feb. 16, 2012

We recently wrote a post about a state trooper being sued by the family of a man who died in a serious car wreck. They’ve claimed the trooper was pursuing the man and didn’t bother to stop to render aid when he crashed into a tree. The trooper apparently drove past the crash and pulled over, returning several minutes later.

The trooper was ultimately sent a letter of termination at the end of January. He appealed that decision, but the firing was upheld this week by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, according to WATE’s website.

After the November crash, investigators decided the trooper did in fact fail to stop and give aid to the man after his car crashed. While the chase itself was determined to be in accordance with the policies of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the trooper’s actions after the pursuit, which are the subject of the family’s lawsuit, are what led to his dismissal.

Sources say the ruling is based on the trooper’s apparent violations of Human Resources policies, as well as the rules and policies of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

The trooper will be relieved of duty as of Feb. 20, although he can appeal the most recent decision. It would appear that the THP is firm in its stance, however. According to WATE, the commissioner of the Department of Safety says that the trooper’s conduct after the crash “was a poor representation of the honorable men and women who serve on the Tennessee Highway Patrol.”

Source: WATE, “Department of Safety upholds termination of highway patrol trooper,” Feb. 14, 2012

A tragic accident in Sullivan County last week shows how hazardous it can be to be in a construction zone, and not just for drivers. While motorists must be aware of nearby equipment and particularly the workers operating the equipment, construction workers also need to keep an eye out for their own safety.

The car accident happened on Highway 75 near Sam Gammon Road. In the area there is a highway expansion project, where construction crews are widening the road in Washington and Sullivan counties, according to TriCities.com.

A little after 3 p.m. on a recent afternoon, a woman driving a 1997 Honda Accord reportedly collided with a construction worker who was carrying a 15-foot pipe on his shoulder. The pipe apparently obscured his vision and he did not see the vehicle coming.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 49-year-old man died from his injuries. The man, who was from Hampton, worked for Summers Taylor Inc., whose crews were performing the road widening.

After performing an investigation, the THP reportedly decided not to file charges against the woman because the worker walked into the path of her vehicle while his vision was obstructed by the pipe.

The driver was not injured in the accident.

In construction zones, it’s always best to use caution and slow down to directed speed limits. In cases like this, a driver might not be able to avoid an accident, but the risk of injury is definitely lowered when traveling at a lower speed.

Source: TriCities.com, “Update: No charges will be filed against driver in Hwy 75 construction worker death,” George Jackson and Josh Smith, Feb. 9, 2012