A serious car accident just west of St. Joseph proved to be a deadly one when a car, driven by a teenager, lost control in slick conditions and hit a semi-truck. Several others were injured in the car crash, as well.
Fatal Car Accident Just Outside St. Joseph
The incident happened early in the morning on Monday, December 5, 2016. 17-year-old Cierra Waitt, of Wathena, Kansas, was driving a 2003 Jeep with three others in the car: 15-year-old Elijah Waitt, 14-year-old Trinity Waitt, and 11-year-old Kay-Lynn Drinkert. Road conditions were terrible, with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark and lots of moisture in the air. Police and weather forecasters had warned of freezing fog and icy conditions for early in the morning, particularly on overpasses and bridges.
Unfortunately, the dangers of these road conditions are tricky even for experienced drivers. According to police reports, Waitt’s Jeep was travelling southbound on Randolph Road when it spun out, into the intersection of Randolph and U.S. Route 36. The Jeep spun a whole 180 degrees, coming back into the westbound lane of Route 36 and colliding head-on with a tractor-trailer truck driven by 36-year-old Alan Quint of Boonville, Missouri.
When police arrived on the scene, they pronounced 11-year-old Kay-Lynn Drinkert dead at the crash. The driver of the Jeep, Cierra Waitt, was rushed to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph with disabling injuries. Both other occupants in the Jeep were also brought to the hospital with injuries suffered in the car crash, as well.
The car accident was the worst among several in the area that the poor road conditions contributed to.
The Dangers of Freezing Fog
Freezing fog is a relatively rare phenomenon. However, in part because it is so rare, it can cause havoc on the roads as drivers are not familiar with its dangers.
Freezing fog is a light mist that freezes as soon as it comes in contact with a solid object, producing rime ice. While rime ice is not as slippery as regular ice, it can be dangerous enough to make driving tricky. Together with the fog still in the air, freezing fog presents a uniquely difficult driving challenge: The slippery road of ice, and the lack of visibility of fog.
Because freezing fog requires a perfect blend of weather conditions, it generally only happens in the dawn hours, making it possible to avoid. However, if you have to drive when there is freezing fog on the roads, clearing your windows of ice and slowing down are the best safety measures you can take to stay safe. Be especially careful when going from a sunny area into a foggy one – these transition areas are often the most dangerous.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Dangerous driving conditions can increase the chances of a serious accident for even the best of drivers. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash having a capable car accident and personal injury attorney at your side can make a huge difference in whether you get the compensation you need to make a full recovery. Contact the attorneys at the Smith Law Office online or at (816) 875-9373.