Posted on July 17, 2014 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

No driver is perfect all the time, but most of the time drivers are able to balance minor distractions with their responsibilities toward others on the road. Still, even something as simple as reaching down for a drink can take a driver's attention off the road; when this occurs, the chaos that can result can far outweigh the insignificance of a simple distraction.

A recent commercial vehicle accident in Virginia resulted in four people being sent to the hospital, as well as an overturned truck. The trucking accident happened on Interstate 64 in the mid-morning hours, when a 41-year-old truck driver briefly looked down to take a drink of water. When his eyes returned to the road, he could see that traffic had come to a halt, but it was too late: his box truck struck a minivan, which in turn hit a pickup truck. According to the police, a chain-reaction set of accidents occurred which ultimately ensnared six vehicles.

Police charged the truck driver with reckless driving. Some may assume this type of charge is only leveled at those who engage in egregiously unsafe acts, such as street racing or driving while under the influence of drugs. Still, reckless driving can take many different forms, as this case demonstrates. In addition to sending accident victims to the hospital, the I-64 crash also caused traffic to be backed-up for hours.

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 Posted on July 10, 2014 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

One of the worst types of car accidents any Virginian can become involved in is one in which a vehicle is pushed into an intersection. While all crossings are different, the typical intersection has many vehicles traveling through at once, some in different directions and some speeding through a yellow light just in time. Most people travel through intersections several times a day without giving them a second thought, but these aspects of one's everyday life can instantly become scenes of chaos if negligence or recklessness are involved.

Earlier this month at an intersection in Culpeper, a horrific fatal commercial trucking accident caused one fatality, sent others to the hospital, started a fire and inflicted damage upon surrounding property. During the morning hours a car and commercial truck were stopped at the intersection of Alanthus Road and U.S. 29, with the larger wood-hauling truck behind the smaller passenger vehicle. Another truck, this one carrying produce, was heading north on 29 when it struck the back of stopped truck a little before 7:30 a.m. The impact pushed the passenger car into the intersection and caused the two trucks to catch fire.

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 Posted on July 03, 2014 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Multi-vehicle crashes can cause a lot of damage on Virginia's roadways. At best, they may result in a fender-bender and perhaps a bruised ego for a negligent driver. Many times, though, they cause far more devastation, especially if they are or become fatal motor vehicle accidents.

Recently in Norfolk, a crash involving several vehicles led to the shocking death of a man and the serious injury of another. Two females, as well as an infant, also suffered injuries in the crash, which took place around 9:30pm near the city line between Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

According to police, a southbound vehicle stopped and its driver exited the vehicle to put something in the car's trunk. Another car, traveling in the same lane, hit the stopped car. The impact pinned the first car's driver between the two vehicles, a Dodge Stratus and a Mazda CX-7. Unfortunately, the driver of the Stratus, a man from Chesapeake, died shortly after the accident at a nearby hospital.

In an incident like this, there is likely to be an official investigation into the causes of the crash. In this case, authorities have noted they are continuing to investigate. Following the investigation's conclusion, the Commonwealth's Attorney will then proceed with filing charges, if there are any.

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 Posted on June 25, 2014 in Drunk Driving Accidents

Summer is concert season, and countless residents of Northern Virginia spend their summer nights taking in the sights and sounds of music fests, outdoor concerts and other events. Some people may get a little carried away at these events and have a little too much to drink, however. Usually this behavior is harmless and requires a designated driver for safety's sake. Few people who attend concerts, though, expect to be hit by a drunk driver.

Recently, at 96XFest in Portsmouth, a woman was seriously injured after being hit by an apparent drunk driver. The 27-year-old reportedly drunk driver was driving the wrong way when she struck another 27-year-old, who was walking away from the concert. After striking the pedestrian, the vehicle then struck some fencing and came to a stop near the seawall railing. Fortunately, no other pedestrians or bystanders were hurt in the incident. The driver was unhurt as well, although the accident victim suffered serious injuries. The drunk driving accident resulted in charges of DUI and maiming for the driver.

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 Posted on June 18, 2014 in Truck Accidents

A large semi truck striking anything is dangerous, but a tractor-trailer colliding with another tractor-trailer can be especially calamitous. Recently, in Augusta County, Virginia, a fatal rear-end collision occurred and claimed the life of a 55-year-old man. The tractor trailer accident played out on Interstate 81 on June 11.

Virginia state police say that the two tractor-trailers were both traveling south on I-81. The one in front slowed down for traffic, but the one behind, apparently, failed to decrease its speed as well. The resulting crash caused the second semi truck to jackknife, and its driver died on the scene. Fortunately, no other drivers were injured in this incident.

As this case makes clear, even truck drivers are not immune to the mistakes of other truck drivers, or their own. One error in judgment, or a few moments of distracted driving, can claim a truck driver's own life or someone else's. Recently, in the nearby District of Columbia, where countless Northern Virginians spend their work weeks, a dump truck struck a female pedestrian and dragged her until a bystander intervened.

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 Posted on June 11, 2014 in Car Accidents

There is often a dizzying array of costs associated with car accidents. For the individuals involved, there are likely to be medical expenses and lost wages due to missed work from the auto accident. For surviving family members of victims in fatal accidents, both medical expenses and funeral expenses can add financial trauma on top of tragedy.

Still, what about the nationwide cost of car accidents? According to a recently-released study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle accidents cost over $870 billion a year in terms of economic harm and its societal equivalent.

The study accounted for car and truck crashes in 2010, when just under 33,000 people lost their lives due to such collisions. That same year another 3.9 million individuals suffered injuries as a result of truck and car accidents. Finally, a whopping 24 million vehicles sustained damage from the wrecks. While no price can be placed on the human toll of these accidents, the economic impact of the 2010 accidents was $277 billion. The remaining $594 billion was associated with damage stemming from loss of human life, decreased quality of life and pain.

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 Posted on June 06, 2014 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

When an 86-year-old passes away, usually it is due to health issues which, while devastating, are also generally expected for older age groups. Senior citizens, though, can also be victims of fatal car accidents. Due to their unexpected nature, these types of tragedies can be even more traumatic than the effects of a long-term illness.

Recently, a beloved 86-year-old volunteer with the Tuckahoe Volunteer Rescue Squad lost her life in a shocking crash. At Midway and Parham roads in Henrico, the woman's car collided head-on with another vehicle. The older woman died at the scene of the accident, while the other driver of the car suffered life-threatening injury and had to be taken to the hospital. While it is unclear what, or who, exactly caused the crash, police have ruled out speed and alcohol as possible contributors.

The loss of life of a senior citizen is no less heartbreaking than the loss of someone in another age group. In this case, the octogenarian had been spending her golden years as a particularly beloved volunteer whose loss was mentioned in a press release from the rescue squad. In the past, the woman had mentioned that her life had been given purpose through her volunteer work. In the release, the rescue squad noted how volunteers are like family, and the woman will be missed.

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 Posted on May 29, 2014 in Truck Accidents

Anyone who has ever taken a long road trip knows that at a certain point, the body and mind just can't stay awake any longer. With summer just beginning, many in Northern Virginia are likely preparing for their seasonal trips, planning itineraries and places to stop along the way. Traveling on highways and interstates means sharing the road with trucks, which is why it's extra important to leave adequate time for rest. A drowsy driver, either behind the wheel of a passenger car or a semi truck, can easily cause a car or truck crash.

While those who travel for leisure can set their own schedules, truck drivers are held to a different standard. Last summer, new regulations went into effect to address the dangerous issue of truck driver fatigue. Prior to last July, the maximum hours per week a truck driver could work was 82. That number dropped to 70 thanks to the new rule, which also requires a half-hour break during a shift's first eight hours. Finally, the new rules also strengthened an existing regulation that mandates a break period of 34 hours between weeks of work. Now, that break needs to include two consecutive periods in the early morning hours.

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 Posted on May 21, 2014 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Teenagers are usually the picture of vibrant youth: happy, energetic and ready to take on the world. Since teens are so often the epitome of life in motion, it's always shocking when someone in that age group passes away. Too frequently, fatal motor vehicle accidents steal the lives of those just entering adulthood.

Earlier this month, a 17-year-old boy from Fairfax was riding what is known as a "mini-bike" around Reston Parkway in Reston. He attempted to make a turn onto Wiehle Avenue, but crossed into the path of two other vehicles. One of those vehicles, an Acura MDX, hit the mini-bike and then crashed into another car, a Lexus GX470. The teen was severely injured and, a few days later, he succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Fatal car accidents involving teens spawn a host of questions for surviving family members: who was responsible for the incident? Were any laws broken? Why were injuries so severe? Could the accident have been avoided? Did medical staff do everything they could to save the injured person's life? In this instance, police noted they don't plan to file charges against anyone because speed and alcohol did not appear to be factors in the crash.

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 Posted on May 15, 2014 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Like any other field, the commercial transportation industry is constantly looking for new ways to increase safety, and move forward with progressive improvements. Recently, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute revealed that a new innovation has the ability to save lives by correcting the potentially dangerous behavior of a truck driver behind the wheel.

A truck driver has an enormous amount of power to prevent a commercial vehicle accident. Staying attentive and getting enough rest, refraining from alcohol or other drugs, avoiding distractions, such as eating or cell phone use, all of these are behaviors that truck drivers can exhibit to decrease the likelihood of an accident. Thanks to a new technology, that likelihood may go down in the near future.

The program is known as "DriveCam" and utilizes a camera to monitor driver's behavior. Essentially, it is an onboard system, which carefully scrutinizes the actions of truck drivers. According to the Virginia Tech study of commercial vehicle accidents, focusing on trucks and buses, the safety system could not only cut back on collisions, injuries and deaths, but it could do so significantly. The CEO of Lytx, which powers the program, noted that the technology combines the effectiveness of predictive analytics, cloud technology and video. Interestingly, the CEO also mentioned how 90% of fatal vehicle crashes are preventable.

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