Four causes for fatal accidents
Reading through the Houston police blotter for the last week, there have been four fatal accidents. These tragic accidents are cause for concern, because each of them point to a different problem in our society that needs addressing. It would be better if no one got injured in car accidents at all, but this is statistically unlikely. But we can reduce the odds through awareness of a few core causes.
On April 9th a 46-year old driver deliberately drove into a center pillar on the median late at night at a high rate of speed. This case is currently being considered a suicide. Suicide is no joke, but it can be very hard to detect if someone is suicidal or not. More information on how you can spot the signs can be found at this link from Harvard.edu.
On April 11th at 5:30 AM a pickup truck was struck by a car going the wrong way on the Eastex freeway. After being struck, a second car hit the truck. The woman in the truck died on the scene, while the others were taken to local hospitals with various injuries. While the case is still under investigation as to the actual cause, we can take under consideration that fatigue played a factor in this case. Being too sleepy behind the wheel can be just as dangerous, or even more dangerous, than driving while drunk. Never drive while you’re really tired. Get someone else to do it for you, or pull over where it is safe and sleep for a while. The life you save could be your own.
There were two accidents on April 15th. The first one was a hit-and-run. The victim was about to enter her truck on the driver’s side when it was struck by a truck. The truck did not stop and police are investigating. This is simply a case of inattention leading to fatal results. Drivers need to be especially careful when passing parked vehicles. It’s best to try to get over one lane to help prevent these types of senseless accidents.
The second accident is being considered intoxication manslaughter. It’s another case of someone going the wrong way on the road, but this time it was a head-on collision that shot a car across two lanes of traffic, where it was hit by a third, flipped, and burst into flame. We all know the dangers of driving while intoxicated.
Intoxication, inattention, fatigue, and mental problems can interfere with good driving, leading to serious accidents that will make you wind up in court or a coffin. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident and you suspect that the perpetrator was under the influence of one of these factors, we urge you to call our law offices today to discuss your options.