October 2019 - Burns

Pittsfield Crash Leads to Serious Injuries

In late July of this year, a rollover accident at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Center Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, left one motorist with serious injuries. The accident occurred around 10:00 am when a Lincoln MKZ proceeding east down Columbus Avenue collided with a Hyundai Elantra that was traveling north on Center Street. The Lincoln struck a secondary curb after the collision and rolled over on its side, pinning the driver and his passenger inside. First responders had to use mechanical means to extricate the driver who was transported to Berkshire Medical Center with serious but stable injuries. His passenger and the driver of the Hyundai suffered only minor injuries. Police were still investigating and had not determined the cause of the accident.

“Love Clicks. Buckle Up.” Massachusetts Seatbelt Campaign

In another effort to alert Massachusetts motorists of the need to buckle up, the Massachusetts Highway Safety Division recently launched a new safety campaign called “Love Clicks. Buckle Up.” For some reason, Massachusetts has lagged far behind the rest of the nation in wearing seatbelts. The national average for wearing seat belts has been around 90% for several years. Massachusetts is one of the worst states when it comes to motorists buckling up and currently has a 81.6% rate for wearing a seat belt. Our sister state, New Hampshire, is dead last at 73% as it is the only state in the nation that does not require adults 18 and over to wear seat belts.

Lawrence Massachusetts Crash Leaves Child Dead

Earlier this summer, an 11-year old Peabody girl was the tragic victim of a head-on collision by a motorist who had been fleeing police. The accident occurred at the intersection of Winthrop and Andover Street in Lawrence. The girl was with her sister, mother, cousin and mother’s boyfriend who all suffered serious injuries from the accident. The suspect was speeding away from police following a routine traffic stop for a lane violation. The suspect presumably fled in his 2009 Infiniti G37 since he was later found to be driving on a suspended license. Charges against the suspect include vehicular homicide, manslaughter, fleeing a police officer, reckless driving, speeding, and assault with a deadly weapon. The officers who had stopped the suspect had not given chase.

Rollover Crash Ejects 11 and Kills Two

Rollover accidents can be deadly since the vehicle occupants can be violently tossed around within the vehicle, striking objects, windows and other passengers. If seat belts are not worn or are worn but fail to restrain the occupants, passengers can be ejected from the vehicle to the pavement or into any object outside. This was highlighted in a horrific crash early this Summer on I-95 near Exit 3 in Attleboro around 11:00 a.m. A Ford Econoline van transporting 11 persons was struck by a Toyota Rav 4 that was in the adjoining lane. Both vehicles crossed the median after impact. The van rolled over and all 11 occupants were ejected. Two of the passengers suffered fatal injuries. Police reports did not indicate how the accident occurred though it is likely that one motorist made an unsafe lane change or that both attempted to change lanes simultaneously. Other factors could have been fatigue, impairment, distraction, or the possible inexperience of the van driver.

Great Barrington Car Accident Leaves Woman Injured

A 17-year old Great Barrington youth was charged with DUI and causing serious bodily injury when his vehicle struck a young woman on the side of the road. The woman had pulled over to the roadside shoulder after striking a guardrail. The accident occurred on Stockbridge Road near Fountain Pond in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The woman was outside her vehicle and was being assisted by another motorist when they noticed the car approaching them. She told police that she tried to avoid being hit but was struck, nonetheless. She reportedly sustained serious injuries and was taken to Berkshire Medical Center.

Deadly Accidents Change How Massachusetts Handles Out of State Violations

A recent lawsuit filing in Hampden County Superior Court brought back memories of the deadly and incomprehensible tragedy this past June in Randolph, New Hampshire where 7 motorcyclists were killed. A young driver in a pickup truck towing a trailer suddenly crossed into the opposite lane of traffic and mowed down the innocent motorcycle riders. None of the first responders or police at the scene could recall an incident or carnage of this magnitude in a single motor vehicle incident. The driver was from Springfield, Massachusetts and had a Massachusetts driver’s license at the time of the incident.

Is the Back Seat the Safest Spot to Sit?

It is generally assumed that the best or safest place to be in a car accident is the back seat. The most serious accidents are head-on collisions followed by T-bone collisions. If you are restrained in the back seat during these collisions, the general belief is that you were likely spared serious or fatal injuries merely because of the distance between the back-seat passenger and the impact location.

Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

Month: October 2019