Posted on July 31, 2013 in Car Accidents

As with so many things in life, experience is key when it comes to safe driving. When teenagers are behind the wheel, lack of experience, poor judgment, or both can lead to an auto crash. This month in Botetourt County, Virginia, a teen driving a Honda SUV became involved in a car accident that wound up temporarily closing both lanes of Virginia 11 while crews reviewed the scene.

The incident occurred in the early evening, when the 17-year-old driver of the Honda apparently attempted to turn onto Virginia 11 from Overpass Road. A Chrysler PT Cruiser was heading south at that moment, and struck the Honda. The 56-year-old driver of the PT Cruiser had to be taken to a Roanoke hospital for treatment. The young Honda driver also was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, as were the two female passengers riding with her.

Fortunately, all four people involved in the auto accident were wearing their seat belts. Still, even when all proper precautions are taken, one simply cannot control or predict the behavior of others on the road. Even a simple left or right turn on a route driven every day, can result in disaster if one driver errs. Moreover, tempting handheld technology and the large size differential between SUVs and more fuel-efficient rides can make today's trip tomorrow's hospitalization.

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 Posted on July 26, 2013 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

An investigation is ongoing into a fatal wreck that recently took place in Stafford County, one which claimed the life of a Virginia woman. The accident, which took place on July 14 on Route 17, involved a total of six vehicles, one fatality, and two people left injured. These types of numbers often add up to tragedy for the surviving victims of fatal car accidents, and this case was no exception.

According to the Virginia State Police, a pickup truck heading north sideswiped multiple vehicles before running into a tree near Hemp Road. The Ford F-150 first hit a Honda sedan before also swiping a Honda minivan. Both cars had been traveling in the right lanes of Route 17 when they were hit. The next vehicle in the wayward truck's path was a Volvo station wagon in the left lane, also heading north. The impact sent the Volvo off the side of the roadway with devastating consequences.

After the pickup truck hit the Volvo, the truck ran into a tree. The Volvo, however, was sent through the median and into the opposite lanes. The 50-year-old driver of the Volvo was ejected from her car and was struck by another pickup truck heading south. The Summerdale woman passed away at the scene, while her 8-year-old passenger had to be taken to Mary Washington Hospital for medical attention.

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 Posted on July 19, 2013 in Truck Accidents

As a region nestled within the busy corridors of the mid-Atlantic, northern Virginia has long served as a hub for transportation. Commuters in the Manassas area are used to driving alongside large semi trucks as they go about their daily business. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, though, the presence of these massive vehicles on the roads can sometimes prove highly dangerous. The DOT reports that over 3,000 people lose their lives each year as a result of either a truck accident or a bus crash. The DOT also reports that 13 percent of those fatalities were a result of truck driver fatigue.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is hoping to lower these figures via new rules for truck drivers. Those who make a living driving big rigs, tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles must already obey several layers of regulations, of course, such as earning and maintaining a commercial driver's license. However, given the alarming levels of truck accidents and related deaths, it is little surprise that the industry is hoping to improve safety.

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 Posted on July 10, 2013 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

A 48-year-old Virginia woman is dead following an accident that clogged-up traffic for several hours in Caroline County last month. On June 26, a little after 1:00 a.m., a woman driving a BMW X-5 somehow started traveling the wrong way, with her large SUV heading south in the northbound lanes. The 51-year-old Maryland woman's car swiped a Nissan Sentra heading north, leaving one woman dead and four others injured.

The plague of fatal motor vehicle accidents has long affected I-95, especially during the late night and early morning hours. Fender-benders are an almost daily occurrence for the stretch near Arlington and DC, but fatal car accidents are not unusual, either. Most of the time, one or both drivers is at fault in any type of car accident, but in wrecks that result in the loss of a loved one, legal remedies can be found in both the criminal and civil arenas.

After the June 26 tragedy, the driver of the BMW was charged with several felonies, including one count of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence of drugs. She also faces four counts of maiming while driving under the influence of drugs. When the driver is released from a local hospital, she will head to a jail in Hanover County.

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 Posted on July 03, 2013 in Drunk Driving Accidents

The start of July will herald more than just the usual summertime activities throughout Virginia this year. Starting on July 1, the state will crack down on repeat drunk driving offenders. Lawmakers have designated some repeat DUI offenses as felonies, and those convicted will have to serve a mandatory sentence in jail.

Choosing to be a drunk driver in Virginia can lead to unimaginable tragedy. At best, a drunk driving accident can involve a major hassle for the accident victim. At worst, an accident caused by an intoxicated motorist can instantly produce serious injuries or even death. In a state filled with bustling metros and winding rural roads, as well as all four seasons, the conditions are unfortunately ripe for accidents to occur if a resident drinks and drives.

Currently in Virginia, some repeat offenders can face only misdemeanor charges following some alcohol-related infractions that occur after a previous offense. Even more surprisingly, the prior offense can involve injury or death. Essentially, under certain conditions, someone convicted of a felony DUI could drop back down to the misdemeanor level after committing another related offense. Lawmakers want to change that leniency and have struck a clause that set a 10-year time period for repeat offenses.

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 Posted on June 28, 2013 in Car Accidents

It is generally common knowledge that the less sleep people get, the less likely they are to be able to operate a motor vehicle safely. The drowsier people are, of course, the more likely they are to cause a car accident. While it seems that most parents and educators would agree with this, top school officials in Fairfax County appear reluctant to make changes on the issue. Throughout the Northern Virginia region, Fairfax schools have the earliest start times, making the roadways a potentially perilous place to be before classes start.

All drivers need adequate rest, but teen drivers in particular need around nine hours of sleep per night. With inadequate sleep affecting memory, performance and learning, it's no surprise that it can also greatly impair driving skills. Teens who have essentially woken-up before their natural sleep cycle has ended can cause a variety of hazards, from running a stop sign to rollovers to sparking a chain reaction that ends in a multi-vehicle accident.

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 Posted on June 20, 2013 in Drunk Driving Accidents

On June 8 in Virginia Beach, an 84-year-old man lost his life in an accident that left his passenger and other driver injured. Police say that a 40-year-old Norfolk man caused the drunk driving accident; the driver has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter and maiming. Due to the presence of a juvenile with him in his vehicle at the time of the crash, he also faces the charge of DUI - child present.

The incident occurred when the Norfolk man's pickup truck drifted off to the side of Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach. The driver tried to recover but over-corrected, a common error when motorists are drowsy, intoxicated or otherwise not paying attention. The over-correction led to the man's truck crossing lanes into traffic headed the opposite direction. The truck hit a Ford Taurus, causing the smaller car to spin and finally come to a stop in an intersection.

The 84-year-old driver of the Taurus did not survive the crash, and his passenger was taken to a hospital with injuries. The truck was later hit by a Volkswagen Beetle, whose driver - and the crash's third accident victim - also required medical attention for injuries. The driver of the truck, on the other hand, was not injured despite being part of a fatal collision.

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 Posted on June 13, 2013 in Truck Accidents

In Virginia, all four seasons normally provide a welcome sense of variety to state residents. However, rapidly-changing atmospheric conditions can unfortunately wreak havoc on roadways, leading to both car and truck accidents on a regular basis. On Interstate 77 recently, heavy rains that usually signal spring's evolution into summer also signaled a deadly truck crash that claimed the life of a man from South Carolina.

The tragedy occurred on the morning of June 7, as a seasonal tropical storm was moving along the East Coast. Just before 1 a.m. near Hillsville, the 57-year-old victim and his wife were driving north on I-77 when they passed a semi truck. Their Mitsubishi Galant began to hydroplane, and the car eventually went off a bridge over Route 702, Stable Road. Their car eventually veered off to the right side of the road, hit a guardrail, and then wound up facing the wrong way in the road.

Both the victim and his wife, who had been driving, quickly exited their car and headed for safety. The man, however, went back to his car to grab his cell phone. At that moment, a tractor trailer accident occurred when a 2007 International truck struck the Mitsubishi and pushed it about 100 years down the road. The effects multiplied when yet another semi truck, a 2001 Peterbilt, hit the car as well.

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 Posted on June 05, 2013 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

The month of June got off to a tragic start for drivers on the Fairfax County Parkway. The busy route sees its fair share of fatal motor vehicle accidents, and a recent crash claimed the lives of two men who were simply riding in a taxi cab. In Northern Virginia, taxis are a frequent choice for those who want to get home safely. Unfortunately, this incident shows that even cab passengers are at the mercy of others on the road.

Early in the morning on June 1, a 24-year-old behind the wheel of an SUV was reportedly driving the wrong way the northbound lanes of the Fairfax County Parkway. Around 1:45 a.m. in Herndon, the SUV crashed into a cab carrying a 29-year-old man and a 34-year-old man. Tragically, both men lost their lives as a result of the traumatic collision. The driver of the taxi, a 47-year-old man, was transported to a nearby hospital but his medical status has not yet been made public.

The driver of the SUV was also taken to a hospital; his condition is also not entirely clear as of the day after the crash. However, authorities have pending charges against the man, including two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter. An investigation into the crash is focusing on speed and alcohol as potential factors leading up to the tragedy. Speed is a common element of negligence where fatal car accidents are concerned, while alcohol can exacerbate a person's risk-taking tendencies.

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 Posted on May 29, 2013 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

An accident that resulted in raw sewage leaking from a truck snarled traffic in Northern Virginia on May 26. The unpleasant spillage, however, was not the worst part of the unfortunate episode. Five people sustained injuries in the crash, with three individuals requiring hospital treatment for serious physical damage.

The commercial vehicle accident occurred early in the morning on Route 50 near Fillmore Street. The collision between a sedan, carrying five people, and a sewage truck led to the leaking mess and the temporary closing of eastbound Route 50. In addition, two of the accident victims in the sedan had to be pulled out by firefighters, demonstrating the severity of these types of crashes.

The truck in this incident had been transporting human waste for a portable toilet company and the sewage crept into a nearby storm drain. The mess required hazardous materials crews to come to the scene and conduct a cleanup operation. The Department of Environmental Services also became involved and officials from that group determined that the runoff would enter Four Mile Run via Lower Long Branch Run, south of Route 395.

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