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When you first get behind the wheel as a teenager, the experience can be both exciting and nerve-racking. You feel as though you’re officially not a kid anymore and are excited about the freedom you’ll gain once you finally obtain your driver’s license. There can also be a sense of fear as you realize you’re in control of a machine that weighs thousands of pounds and has the capacity to cause damage to structures and people. One young student driver in Maryland got a scare and an early lesson of what can happen on the road. Though it wasn’t his fault, the car accident is likely to stay with him for as long as he holds a license. The crash happened last week in Anne Arundel County. A 53-year-old woman was driving behind the 16-year-old student driver’s car and rear-ended it near an intersection. The car continued on and collided with a second vehicle, splitting it in half. The driver whose car hit the two others suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital, as was the passenger of the young driver. Suffering the most critical injuries was the driver whose car was split in two. The crash is still under investigation, and while alcohol didn’t play a role, the driver could be held liable for the other people’s injuries. If the passenger of the driving student was working as an instructor at the time, she could be eligible for workers’ compensation. And the 16-year-old himself? He wasn’t injured, but as a new driver, he may have been shaken after the car was hit. If anything positive is to result from this crash, perhaps it’s that he’ll remember how quickly accidents can happen. Source: Baltimore Sun, “ 3 injured in crash near Londontowne,” Steve Kilar, Dec. 3, 2011

It is always tragic when a young person dies in a motor vehicle accident. On Oct. 20, a 23-year-old Morgan State University senior with a promising future died in a car accident at approximately 10:30 p.m. The crash took place in the Fells Point neighborhood in Baltimore, and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old front seat passenger in another vehicle. The student was homecoming king at the university, and he was scheduled to graduate soon with a degree in telecommunications. He had already been hired to work at the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) after graduation. He had previously interned there, spearheading the agency’s social media projects, including projects on Facebook and Twitter. An MTA spokesman stated that he had helped create the MTA’s slogan, “Ride, Respect, Relax,” and that he had also worked on aspects of the agency’s public safety campaign. The student was driving a Dodge Durango and traveling north when his vehicle and a Mitsubishi Eclipse crashed into each other. Police investigators speculated that one of the vehicles may have been speeding and are looking into the possibility that one of them continued into the intersection despite a red light. Officers were reported to be planning to conduct interviews with a number of persons believed to have witnessed the accident. Police also reported that the driver of the Mitsubishi and a passenger in the Dodge were injured, but these injuries were described as minor. According to a story in the Baltimore Sun, students at Morgan State University were in mourning for the popular senior, and grief counselors were available to help students cope with the tragedy. Source: Baltimore Sun, “ Popular Morgan State student among two killed in Fells Point crash,” Peter Hermann, Oct. 21, 2011

A 12-year-old Amish girl died in a fatal accident in California, Maryland, when a pickup truck hit the horse-drawn buggy she was riding in. The girl and two other passengers who were riding in the buggy were all ejected when the impact happened. The other passengers were treated for injuries resulting from the motor vehicle accident. The accident occurred shortly after dark, at 7:40 p.m. The Amish buggy was attempting to cross the intersection of Route 5 near Mount Wolf Road on a green light. Reportedly, the light turned red before the buggy cleared the intersection, and a Ford 150 hit the buggy. The driver of the truck said he did not see the buggy in the intersection. Police are investigating the accident. Thus far, they have found no evidence that alcohol, drugs or speed played a part in the accident. Accidents between cars and buggies are all too common. Last summer, a 3-year-old Amish girl died when a semi-tractor trailer rear-ended her family’s buggy. The driver in that incident, a 52-year-old Illinois man, was cited for driving under the influence of drugs. In an accident in Kickapoo, Wisconsin, two Amish buggy passengers were airlifted to hospitals after a car rear-ended their buggy on U.S. Highway 14. An 11-year-old girl was killed in an accident in Congress Township, Ohio, when a truck hit their buggy as she rode home with her family from a produce auction. A victim of a motor vehicle accident may be entitled to compensation whether or not police cite the other driver for a driving offense. Accident victims should consult with a personal injury attorney to determine whether they have a civil claim. Sources: SoMD.com, “Truck Strikes Amish Buggy; 12-year-old Girl Dead,” Oct. 3, 2011 NewsChannel5.com, “3-year-old Dies in Horse and Buggy Crash, July 9, 2011 MapMinistry.org, “Buggy Accidents”

However well people may drive, where they live affects what they pay for car insurance. That is one reason drivers in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. cannot afford any moving violations on their records. They already live among the most unsafe drivers in the United States, according to Allstate’s 2010 Best Driver’s Report. Allstate bases its annual review on per capita frequency of car accidents in selected American cities. Baltimore and D.C. came in at the bottom, ranking at numbers 192 and 193 respectively. D.C. drivers are more than twice as likely to get in accidents, with a rate 107.3 percent higher than average. They go an average 4.8 years between crashes. Baltimore drivers go 5.3 years between accidents, but still have an 88.7 percent greater likelihood of an accident than the national average. Accident rates for both cities have increased over the prior year. By contrast, Allstate identifies Fort Collins, Colorado and Boise, Idaho as the safest and second-safest cities to drive. Fort Collins gains the honor for the second year in a row, while Boise replaces Chattanooga for second place. Fort Collins drivers tend to go 14 years between accidents, with a 28.6 percent lower chance of having an accident. Unfortunately, Allstate’s report seems to confirm what we have often observed on Maryland roads. It only takes a few seconds for a bad driver’s irresponsible driving to have long-lasting effects on an injury victim. However, people who have been injured in a car wreck have the legal right to seek compensation from the person who caused their injuries. If you have questions about receiving compensation for a car accident injury, an experienced personal injury attorney can help. Source: WTOP.com, “D.C., Balto. rank at bottom of best drivers report,” Sept. 1, 2011 Allstate, “Seventh Annual “Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report” Reveals Safest Driving Cities,” Sept. 1, 2011

For years, public awareness campaigns have encouraged drivers to look for motorcycles. You have probably seen the bumper stickers that say, “Start Seeing Motorcycles.” However, motorcycle versus car accidents continue to happen regularly, and drivers who cause motorcycle accidents often claim that they did not see the motorcycle before violating the motorcyclist’s right of way. The costs of not seeing a motorcycle can be traumatic. On Monday morning, a 33-year-old Maryland man was killed when a pickup truck pulled into his motorcycle’s path. He was a father of four children who began riding his motorcycle to use less gas. For the past four years, he made the daily commute from Boonsboro, Maryland to his job as a welder for Pressure Tech in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Over the past seven months, he switched from driving a car to using a motorcycle. The man and his wife found that the gas saved by using the motorcycle helped them feed their four kids. As he headed to work on Maryland 66 near Beaver Creek, he collided with a 2007 Ford pickup. Maryland State Police investigators believe that the pickup truck driver was trying to turn left onto Interstate 70 from the southbound lane of Maryland 66 when he pulled into the motorcyclist’s path. The 33-year-old father of four was rushed to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver of the pickup was not hurt, but he has been charged with negligent driving and failure to yield the right of way. Source: Herald-Mail.com, “Motorcycle crash victim was trying to save gas,” Dave McMillion, 26 July 2011

Early Sunday morning, a driver and his four passengers were driving east on Olney-Laytonsville Road in Olney, Maryland. Police believe the vehicle left the roadway and then hit two trees and a telephone pole. Three passengers died in the car accident. An 18-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Two other passengers were rushed to local hospitals, but later died. A fourth passenger was treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the automobile survived the accident, but he may be facing both civil and criminal legal proceedings as a result of the fatal crash. Officers state the driver is a 20-year-old student at James Madison University, and they would like to see him held criminally responsible for the accident and its aftermath. Law enforcement authorities believe the 20-year-old driver attempted to flee the scene of the accident on foot. As a result, he has been arrested and is facing felony counts of leaving the scene of an accident as well as counts of failing to report an injury accident to the nearest law enforcement authorities. An investigation into the fatal car accident is ongoing as authorities await the results of the driver’s blood tests. In addition to the criminal charges, the driver may also face civil lawsuits filed by the families of the passengers killed in the accident. When a person negligently or recklessly causes the death of another person, he or she can face a wrongful death lawsuit. In incidents like this unfortunate accident, the results of a criminal investigation will not directly compensate family members for their losses. However, the criminal investigation will likely have a strong affect on any civil litigation that is filed because of the driver’s negligence. Source: WHSV.com, “Three Killed in Maryland Crash,” 5/16/2011

Crossing guards play an important role in protecting schoolchildren from automobile accidents. Similarly, bus drivers play a vital role in providing a safe environment for children by operating their buses in a safe manner. Maryland law enforcement authorities are investigating a recent accident between a school bus and a crossing guard. The accident sent the 54-year-old crossing guard to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in critical condition. Although authorities are still investigating the accident, they believe the accident was a result of the bus driver ignoring the crossing guard’s right of way. The crossing guard apparently entered an intersection near Point Pleasant Elementary to help a student cross the street at 7:41 a.m. After stopping the bus at the intersection, police believe the bus driver made a left turn and hit the 54-year-old woman in the crosswalk. A police spokesman said there is no indication that the student was still in the crosswalk at the time of the accident. Robert Berned witnessed the accident after dropping his daughter off at the school. He rushed to the crossing guard’s aid and found her lying unconscious and bleeding in the middle of the street. Berned and another man wrapped her in a blanket to shield her from the rain. Berned remarked that the crossing guard actually rose to her feet with the assistance of the two men. “Anyone who could get up from that has amazing strength.” Berned said. “She was a strong woman.” The bus driver, who had been working for the county for nearly five years, will not be driving a school bus until the school board conducts an investigation into the accident. Source: The Capital, “Crossing guard hit by school bus in critical condition,” Ben Weathers, 5/5/2011

A tragic car accident occurred in a residential driveway in Laurel, Maryland, in late March. A mother pulled into the driveway of a babysitter to drop her children off shortly before 9 a.m. When she got out of the car, the vehicle began rolling backward down the driveway where the woman’s young son was standing. Running to get him out of the path of the car, she was struck by the open driver’s door and fell underneath the vehicle. Her 3-month-old daughter was still in her arms when the car rolled over all three of them. A near-by neighbor heard the mother’s screams and came quickly outside. He reportedly yelled to another bystander to call for emergency services while he went to work performing CPR on the little girl. The mother never let the baby girl out of her arms, but it was reported that there was nothing that could be done to save her. The young boy was apparently able to walk around while attempts were being made to save the baby. The Laurel residential driveway is said to be only very slightly inclined, but accident-recreation-specialists determined that the car would have gained considerable speed while rolling backward. Authorities presently believe that the mother left the vehicle’s transmission in gear when she exited the vehicle. However, similar accidents in the past have been caused by vehicle defects that allow a parked vehicle to slip back into gear and move unexpectedly. The accident is still under investigation as to what caused the accident and whether any charges will be pressed as a result of the tragedy. Source: Washington Post, “Maryland infant killed by car left in gear in driveway,” Matt Zapotosky, 3/25/2011

Many Maryland car accidents are caused by inattentive or distracted drivers. Thanks to public awareness efforts by the government and private organizations, many people now realize how dangerous driving while eating, on a cell phone or texting can be. However, a driving population that is becoming more aware of the dangers of distracted driving has thus far failed to recognize the danger of driving with an unrestrained pet, experts say. Although conclusive studies on the matter have yet to be conducted, auto safety experts claim that unrestrained pets are responsible for tens of thousands of potentially fatal car accidents each year. Katherine Miller, a representative from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, warned of the dangers. Miller said that any unrestrained pet can be a serious distraction while driving when the pet begins to seek attention, climbs on the drivers lap or vomits as a result of motion sickness. Approximately 448,000 individuals were injured in car accidents resulting from distracted driving in 2009, while nearly 5,500 were killed that same year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most common distractions were cell phones. However, the NHTSA said that pets might have been responsible for a significant portion of the deaths and injuries as well, despite being lumped into the same category as misbehaving children and drivers who apply makeup or read while driving. Hawaii is unique among the 50 states in that it forbids the operation of a vehicle by a driver with a pet on his or her lap. Oregon is considering the adoption of a similar law. Source: Los Angeles Times, “ Experts warn about the dangers of driving with unrestrained pets in the car,” 1/26/2011

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, the President discussed his commitment to electric vehicles and stated his goal is to have 1 million of the vehicles on the road by 2015. While electric vehicles do not harm the environment with emissions, they are definitely not immune to car accidents. Often, emergency personnel responding to a serious car accident need to dismantle a vehicle to rescue an accident victim. Because electric vehicles differ significantly in construction from traditional internal combustion vehicles, a car accident involving an electric vehicle poses unique challenges to first responders. With those concerns in mind, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) established a training tour for first responders on how to work with electric vehicles that have been involved in an accident. Approximately 2,000 emergency service trainers and leaders have participated in the electric vehicle training so far. The training tour made stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Washington D.C., New York and Detroit. The training focuses on topics that are unique to electric vehicles, including procedures to shut off the power, details on lithium ion batteries, and locations of high-strength steel and cut points for getting to injured and trapped passengers. Chevrolet has participated in training the first responders, and has provided a Chevy Volt for hands-on training. With greater emphasis on alternate fuel sources for our vehicles, it appears inevitable that there will be more electric vehicles on the road in the future. The NFPA’s training is an important step towards preparing the brave men and women who serve as our first responders to be as comfortable and as familiar with electric vehicles as they are with the traditional vehicles on the road today. Source: National Fire Protection Association, “Chevrolet, OnStar and NFPA host Electric Vehicle Safety Training for Detroit’s First Responders,” 12/2010

A new study that was released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week departs from the usual focus on alcohol use as a contributing factor in fatal car accidents and scrutinizes, for the first time, the role that drugs play in motor vehicle fatalities. Although studies on drunk drivers abound, there is a dearth of existing research that examines how many motorists on the road have some type of drug in their system. Information also lacks concerning what kinds of drugs are routinely being ingested, how often drivers’ drug use contributes to vehicle crashes – especially fatal accidents – and how many drivers who die in automobile crashes test positive for drugs in autopsies. The NHTSA report probes into all of these areas. It notes, for example, that drugs were found in about 18 percent of drivers nationwide who were involved in fatal accidents over a recent five-year period. (In Maryland, that number was comparatively high, being 25 percent). It notes additionally that drug use has increased over that period, as well. Nearly 4,000 deceased drivers last year tested positive for drugs, as reported by states across the country. Those drugs indicate use across a broad spectrum, ranging from narcotics and depressants to stimulants, hallucinogens, steroids and various inhalants. The NHTSA stops short of drawing conclusions from its study, noting that it is simply too difficult to know in many cases whether drug use was a proximate cause of a roadway death. Although drugs such as cocaine and marijuana were found in the bodies of many fatal accident victims, so, too, were prescription medications not commonly associated with driver impairment. The agency also cites a flaw deriving from reporting inconsistencies. Some states routinely test for drugs, while others don’t. Related Resource: www.washingtonpost.com “Drug use increasingly common in driver deaths” November 30, 2010

The driver of a car termed the “at-fault vehicle” by Maryland State Police caused a chain collision Monday on U.S. 113 in Newark about 13 miles south of the Delaware state line that involved three other vehicles and 10 people. The driver of the car, which was passing other cars on a double yellow line, was killed in the accident, along with three passengers. The deadly car accident occurred shortly before the afternoon rush hour, with the area where the driver sought to pass in a no-pass zone being a two-lane undivided highway with a speed limit of 55 mph. There was no indication from state troopers that speed was a factor in the crash. The aftermath of the accident was chaotic, and police closed the highway locally in both directions for several hours. There were seven people in the at-fault car. Three of them survived and were airlifted to the Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. The drivers of two other cars that were struck in the crash were also sent to that facility. In addition to the three cars that collided, a tractor-trailer was also involved. That vehicle was struck by debris, but did not have direct contact with any of the other vehicles. Sgt. Christopher M. Davala, a trooper at the site, said that the drivers of the other two cars and the driver of the tractor-trailer were “in good shape.” He added that very little remained structurally of the at-fault vehicle. Related Resource: www.delawareonline.com “4 dead in crash on US 113 in Md.” November 2, 2010