Each year in the United States, 3 million people are injured or permanently disabled in car crashes. 37,000 people each year die as a result. Distracted driving is one of the rising causes of crashes with around 1,060 people injured each year.
The top three factors in all car crashes in the nation are still alcohol, speeding, and reckless driving.
Texas has seen a dramatic rise in car accidents this year and October was an especially deadly month all over the State. Even when you are a careful and observant driver, you can be involved in a serious accident which can alter your life forever. The following accidents and serious crashes are just a small example of the devastation that distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding or other factors can cause.
The beginning of the month saw a three-car accident in San Angelo when an Impala hit a Chevy S10 which then hit a GMC Terrain vehicle. Police cite the Impala for negligence.
The first fatality in October was that of a 20-month-old boy in Taylor. Police report the boy’s death as the second in the city since the start of 2017.
Police cruisers are no strangers to traffic accidents. Two police officers were hospitalized in Corpus Christie after an SUV crossed the line of traffic and struck the police vehicle. Alcohol was suspected of being involved in this case.
Two people were killed in a crash on Highway 29 west of Bertram in the early hours of Oct. 3 after a Dodge Ram slammed into a stopped vehicle waiting to turn. That vehicle then struck another vehicle. Both passengers struck were killed, the driver who caused the crash was injured. Distracted driving is suspected but the cause is still unknown.
An Arlington woman died in a single-car crash after having been seen by witnesses as “racing” another car on Interstate 30. She apparently struck a guardrail. Speed was a factor in this crash.
The first week of October saw many accidents including the fatal head-on collision death of a 26-year-old Bishop man. One car attempting to pass a pickup towing another vehicle hit his breaks causing the towing vehicle to jack-knife into oncoming traffic.
One poignant plea from the wife of a man who was the victim of a hit and run driver is also a reminder to never leave the scene of an accident, no matter how minor. The wife of a 29-year-old motorcyclist, who happened to be right behind him as they headed for home in El Paso, saw the death of her husband when a car crashed into him and sped away: “He didn’t deserve that. We were blocks away from the home. That’s what hurts the most.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most accidents still happen closest to home, between 1 and 5 miles from home.
Two students in Millican, the driver of their school bus, along with two instructors on board for the trip were sent to the hospital with serious injuries when a pickup crossed a center line and struck the bus head-on. The driver of the pick-up was also sent to the hospital after the early morning accident. Distraction could have played a role.
A very tragic accident killed an 18-year-old Fort Worth woman and injured 7. Among the injured were 4 children, one of them an infant, and was thought to be due to distracted driving. The young driver lost control of the vehicle and flipped it over into a roll. She was ejected and it is believed a few of the other passengers were ejected as well.
An Austin woman and her two children were sent to the hospital after the woman lost control of her vehicle and it rolled over. The two children were ejected from the vehicle and airlifted to a local trauma center. The mother was also taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
Another possibly avoidable tragedy occurred when two young football players, both Freshman at Trinity Valley Community College, were involved in a fatal morning crash outside of Spring, Texas, when they crossed the center median striking an 18-wheeler tanker truck, their car instantly bursting into flames. Both young men were pronounced dead at the scene.
We always hope we will never be involved in a traffic incident outside of a minor fender bender. Most accidents are just that, however, as you can see from the many examples of serious accidents, just in the month of October, it is very possible to be involved in a minor or serious accident at some point in our lifetime.
If you are ever in a car accident or crash, the first thing you should do is contact an auto accident attorney. Even fender benders can cause neck and back injuries. Serious accidents cause long recovery times, lost income, large medical bills and possibly permanent injury.
An accident attorney can fight for you while you are injured and out of work. Auto accident attorneys are experts in car accident litigation and know the language of the law. Don’t face a serious accident with the potential to affect you for many years of your life alone.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer if You Need Help
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