Posted on May 21, 2013 in Car Accidents

Teenagers who grow up in Virginia encounter a variety of cautions over the years: don't do drugs, do your homework and don't drink and drive. In recent years, however, an additional admonition has been added to that list: never text and drive. The addition is not without good reason, as a recent study has indicated that the habit may cause more fatal car accidents than drinking and driving, at least where teens are concerned.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is one of many that show the extreme danger posed by texting behind the wheel. The most recent research, however, showed that texting and driving led to over 3,000 teen deaths last year. That figure is about 300 more than the number of teen fatalities caused by drunk driving in the same period. Given these staggering statistics, it's not hard to believe that sending a text while driving can lead to death and its accompaniments: mental pain and suffering, funeral expenses, and the loss of a loved one.

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 Posted on May 14, 2013 in Truck Accidents

When a semi truck shares the road with a motorcycle, both vehicles' operators must be extra vigilant about safety. The massive size differential between the two vehicles, as well as disparities in their abilities to stop and turn safely, can easily lead to trouble if sound driving is not prioritized. Unfortunately, concern for others isn't always first in the minds of all truck drivers, and this sad fact was underscored after a recent hit-and-run in Virginia.

The deadly tractor trailer accident happened on April 30, after a man riding a motorcycle on Interstate 95 in northern Virginia lost control of his bike. The 68-year-old man from Dumfries fell into the center lane of I-95, a route many Virginians know as exceptionally congested and busy. A tractor trailer then struck the fallen rider, but sped off from the scene instead of stopping to help or report the accident to authorities. Tragically, officials pronounced the motorcyclist dead at the scene.

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 Posted on May 07, 2013 in Car Accidents

These days, Virginians are busier than ever. Whether it's rushing to work or rushing the kids off to extracurricular activities, countless state residents strive to keep up with the demands of daily life. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in cutting corners or even compromising safety. A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute points to the continuing problem of driver fatigue, one of the primary causes of traffic incidents.

A driver's drowsiness has tremendous potential to cause an auto accident. Of course, falling asleep at the wheel can be catastrophic, but the study emphasizes how lack of alertness can affect safety before reaching that frightening point. Drivers who are tired can fail to notice their vehicles drifting into a different lane, for instance. Likewise, exhausted motorists can also notice things too late, such as an object in the roadway. More alert drivers can usually spot these things sooner, giving them time to react safely.

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 Posted on May 01, 2013 in Truck Accidents

Interstate 95 is a heavily-traveled artery that spans nearly the entire eastern coast of the United States. Especially in the DC metro area and northern Virginia, I-95 sees countless types of car and truck accidents. On April 18, a truck accident stalled traffic heading south for several hours, after a fatal incident occurred in Stafford County.

State police report that a man had pulled his car over onto the shoulder of the interstate near exit 148. After exiting his vehicle on the highway's right shoulder, a tractor-trailer slammed into him, tragically taking his life. The driver of the semi truck did not appear to sustain any injuries. The truck accident happened around 1 p.m., and quickly closed two lanes of I-95. Shortly thereafter, all lanes were closed for about an hour. During some of that time, authorities actually had to divert traffic off the interstate near exit 148.

The truck crash required help from various agencies, including the Sheriff's Office of Stafford County, the local fire and rescue, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and even Quantico Fire and Rescue. A truck accident investigation usually requires input from all of the responders to the scene, and therefore it is helpful for victims or surviving family members to be familiar with those groups' conclusions.

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 Posted on April 26, 2013 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

On April 15, most Virginians are worried about filing their taxes on-time or taking advantage of tax day freebie offers in their local area. However, for drivers on Interstate 81 in the southern part of the state, that day was filled with more than just administrative concerns. A tractor-trailer accident occurred when a semi-truck and a pickup truck collided on I-81 a little after noon.

According to a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, the tractor-trailer, which had been hauling about 50,000 pounds of strawberries, wound up overturning in the southbound lane of the interstate. The massive truck landed atop a pickup truck, and at least one person required airlift by medical helicopter away from the scene. It is unclear what the extent of any injuries may be, or who was ultimately at fault in the incident.

A commercial vehicle accident can feature a host of frightening factors. Sometimes, large trucks that overturn are transporting dangerous chemicals or live animals, and when their cargos bust loose, it can pose a danger to drivers stopped near a crash. In addition, the sheer size of a semi-truck can wreak catastrophic havoc on smaller cars; even pickup trucks pale in comparison to their much-larger counterparts. As a result of this size differential, the types of injuries that stem from a trucking accident can prove varied and severe.

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 Posted on April 18, 2013 in Drunk Driving Accidents

In many car accidents involving a drunk driver, a police officer comes to the aid of a citizen hurt in a wreck. However, in a recent Virginia drunk driving accident, the reverse occurred. An officer from Fairfax County was knocked-out when an allegedly drunk driver crashed into his police car on March 11. Three people, whom authorities are calling good samaritans, assisted the officer during the frightening incident. The trio was later thanked in a ceremony given by Fairfax County police.

The trouble started when a man and his daughter witnessed a driver, who appeared to be impaired, drive onto Interstate 66. The busy highway borders the northern edge of Fairfax. According to the witness, the woman behind the wheel sped up to 80 or 90 miles per hour, well above the interstate's speed limit. The witnesses called 911 after the driver experienced several near-misses with other cars and a semi-truck.

The witnesses found an officer on patrol and alerted him to the driver. The officer accidentally pulled-over the wrong car, though; that vehicle had been forced to drive erratically in order to avoid the policeman's real target. Even worse, the policeman was hit by the actual suspect when he was stopped near the roadside. His car was struck and moved almost 80 feet due to the impact. Fortunately, one of the good samaritans pulled-over to help, pulling the injured officer from his damaged car.

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 Posted on April 11, 2013 in Firm News

Among all the various weather conditions that can afflict Virginia's highways, fog is perhaps the most dangerous. Even light fog can diminish a driver's ability to see what's in front of them, and patches of intermittent fog can make drivers think they're in the clear. A horrendous car accident involving almost 100 vehicles was caused by fog on March 31, on Interstate 77 in the southern part of the state.

The trouble started early that Sunday afternoon, when heavy fog permeated the area. A series of collisions started and grew into a huge multi-vehicle accident as the day wore on. Ultimately, 17 crashes occurred, all within a mile of one another near Fancy Gap Mountain. Over 20 people sustained injuries as a result, while three individuals died in the tragedy. Authorities even had to close certain lanes on the interstate so that rescue vehicles could reach the many victims.

According to a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, drivers going too fast for conditions appeared to have caused many of the collisions. Despite the presence of warning signs on the roadway, which had been cautioning drivers on the fog-related danger since early that morning, many apparently refused to slow down. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not completely new to Virginia's roads; there were fatal multi-car pileups near the same region in both 2000 and 2010.

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 Posted on April 02, 2013 in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

In any hit-and-run case where the victim succumbs to his or her injuries and passes away, the surviving family members can be thrust into the criminal and civil justice systems. The impact of fatal car accidents can be far-reaching and severe for those who are unfamiliar with the legal issues involved, especially as they deal with already-strained emotions. In a recent case out of New York, the friends of a hit-and-run victim have planned an active protest against the man that took the life of their loved one.

Virginians read about fatal car accidents every day in their own metro areas, seeing for themselves the devastation these types of crashes can cause. In the New York case, a 30-year-old man was driving a vehicle that struck and killed a man last fall. In court, the driver pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of the accident as well as tampering with some of the physical evidence. Both actions were felony counts.

The driver initially pleaded not guilty to the counts in February, but a police investigation into the 61-year-old victim's death revealed evidence linked to the driver's car. In March, he pleaded guilty, possibly due to the evidence pointing directly at him. With a sentencing scheduled for later this April, friends of the victim have planned a candlelight vigil to protest what they consider a too-lenient sentence. According to a spokesman for the local District Attorney, authorities will seek a sentence of two to six years in state prison for the offender.

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 Posted on March 27, 2013 in Drunk Driving Accidents

The recent St. Patrick's Day holiday had many police and media throughout Virginia warning against driving while intoxicated. One media outlet even published a blood alcohol content table for readers, explicitly defining the amount of alcohol it takes to impair a driver's judgment behind the wheel. According to the Virginia Tech Campus Alcohol Abuse Prevention Center, just one drink can negatively affect driving skills, therefore even light drinkers can cause a drunk driving accident.

The Virginia Tech center defines one drink as containing 1.25 ounces of alcohol that is 80-proof. Alternatively, one drink can be defined as 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of table wine. Many Virginians consume these drinks at restaurants or bars, though, meaning the drinking glass or serving size for one drink can be much larger than defined above. The only manner in which drivers can be fully assured of safety, then, is to not drink at all or utilize a taxi service or designated driver.

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 Posted on March 18, 2013 in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Residents of Virginia know that winding roads, adverse weather conditions, and rushed commuters can make for a dangerous drive. However, none of these conditions are quite as frightening as faulty brakes on a commercial vehicle. Local law enforcement agents in another state, West Virginia, are still investigating a grisly commercial vehicle accident that may have involved defective brakes.

Tragically, the crash, which occurred on March 9, took the lives of two children, one 8-year-old and one 7-year-old. Initial reports of the incident, which took place as a major snowstorm was moving across the country towards the East Coast, noted a water truck had somehow fallen on top of a sedan. The children's mother was behind the wheel of the sedan at the time of the crash, and had to be transported to a hospital with injuries. Fortunately the 49-year-old woman sustained only non-life-threatening injuries, though the incident robbed her of her two children.

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