The San Antonio Medical Examiner has now identified the bodies of two individuals killed in a head-on collision earlier this week. A woman, 32, and a girl, 14, were driving on Fischer Road Saturday afternoon. Officials stated that the car they were traveling in veered into the lane of an oncoming pick-up truck. Officials explained that the truck driver attempted to avoid colliding with the car by swerving, but was unable to avoid it, and colliding with the vehicle head-on. In addition to the two fatalities, two passengers were also injured and were taken to University Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries. As of the publication of this article, those individuals are still hospitalized. Officials did not state whether it is known why the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic, or what factors may have contributed to the collision.
The Most Dangerous Kind of Collision
Although head-on collisions are relatively uncommon compared to other kinds of vehicle collisions, they are disproportionately fatal. In fact, statistics reflect that while only 2% of all accidents nationwide are head-on collisions, 10% of all traffic-related fatalities are caused by head-on collisions. This is because, in a head-on collision, the force of impact is essentially doubled. In a rear-end collision, if a car is traveling 30 miles per hour at the time it impacts with the bumper of the car in front of it, it hits with a force of 30 miles per hour. However, if a car traveling 55 miles per hour collides head on with a car traveling 75 miles per hour, the cars will each impact at a force of 130 miles per hour. This dramatically increases the chance of death or serious injury for all passengers; particularly those in the front seats. Additionally, a head-on collision between a smaller vehicle and a larger one, can completely collapse the front of the smaller vehicle.
Negligence and Head-On Collisions
There are many possible causes of a head-on collision. However, head-on collisions rarely occur in the absence of some kind of negligence. Distracted driving, fatigued driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol of drugs (either prescription or illegal), are all common causes of head-on collisions. It only takes a moment of distraction–reaching down to pick something up off of the ground, passing a toy to a fussing child in the backseat, changing the radio station, or sending a text message–to drift into another lane of traffic and head-on into another vehicle. Additionally, inclement weather can also cause head-on collisions. When roads are snowy, slippery, or icy, drivers can lose control of their vehicles and travel into opposing lanes. Equipment malfunctions, such as those affecting braking and steering systems, can also account for head-on collisions, as can any situation that brings about a total lack of control of a driver’s vehicle.
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If you or a loved one has been injured or even killed in a head-on collision, Eric Ramos Law, PLLC, is here to help. Schedule your free consultation today. There is no fee until we win.