The crash occurred between a van and a dump truck that took
the lives of two adults and one infant. The cause of the trash was driver’s
fatigue as the driver of the van fell asleep at the wheel and struck the dump
truck. The van was carrying ten people. Of the deceased was a 27 year-old male
driver, a 30 year-old female, and a one month-old baby.
Six children in the van were taken to the hospital; four
remain to be in critical condition while two are in stable conditions. A 25
year-old female that was in the crash, and mother of the deceased infant, is
undergoing surgery. Officials believe that not all the passengers were wearing
seat belts as there were more children than there were car seat devices.
Dangers of Driver’s
Fatigue
The story described above had many dangerous elements; the
first being: driver’s fatigue. Driver’s fatigue is a common cause of car
accidents today. Many people suffer from driver’s fatigue when they have lack
of sleep, extended work hours, or strenuous work. When drivers are sleepy, they
tend to lose focus on the road. Even just the slightest disruption on the road
can lead to a fatal accident, like the one described above. In addition, when
drivers are sleepy they have slower response times and are less likely to
prevent an accident.
Proper Child Seating
Another dangerous factor that exists in the incident
described is lack of proper child seating. There were six children and one
infant and not all of them were properly seated. As a result, when the accident
occurred all were injured and had to receive medical treatment. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Children ages 4 to 7 were less likely to suffer risk by 59% by using a booster seat.
- Child safety seats reduce the risk of fatality in car crashes by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers ages one to four.
Remember to always place your children in proper seating to
prevent the risk of injury when a car accident takes place.
Personal Injury
Accident Attorney
Unfortunately, tragic car accidents take place everyday due
to a drowsy driver. It is best to practice safe seating when in a vehicle by
wearing seat belts and providing booster seats for your children. If you were
already involved in a car accident due to a drowsy driver, you should speak to
a personal injury attorney immediately. A personal injury attorney may be able
to earn you monetary compensation for damages and injuries as a result of the
accident. Contact us today.
