Two men from Kansas City were seriously hurt in a car accident in St. Joseph. Their vehicle went off the road and into oncoming traffic on I-29. There, a truck collided with their vehicle, causing it to spin and flip into the median. The driver of the car was ejected in the truck accident.
Horrendous Truck Accident Hurts Two
The incident happened in the afternoon of Monday, February 6, 2017. A 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix was traveling southbound on Interstate 29 through St. Joseph. For some reason, the car dropped off the shoulder, drove down the embankment into the median, and into northbound traffic. Unfortunately, this brought the vehicle directly into the path of a tractor-trailer. The truck, which was carrying thousands of pounds of frozen food, collided with the back of the car.
The crash sent the car spinning and flipping back into the highway’s median. The driver of the car, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was ejected from the vehicle in the rollover accident.
Both the driver and the passenger in the Pontiac suffered serious personal injuries in the crash. They were rushed to Mosaic Life Care. The driver of the truck that was involved was not hurt.
Rollover Accidents
In high-speed car accidents, rollovers are common. Unfortunately, a rollover is one of the most dangerous things that can happen during a crash. While rollovers only happened in 2.1% of auto accidents in 2010, they accounted for 35% of road fatalities.
The reasons for this might be obvious. When a car flips, anyone inside gets tossed around far more than they would if the car stayed on its wheels. This chaotic trauma often leads to personal injuries far more serious than in other accidents. This is especially true if the car lands on its roof at some point during the crash. While vertical supports in the car are supposed to hold the weight of the vehicle, the force of the car hitting the ground can make these supports buckle. This can lead the ceiling of the car to crunch down on the occupants inside, resulting in serious head and neck injuries.
Vehicle Ejections
Rollover accidents also increase the likelihood of being thrown from the car. In a car accident, the weight and safety features of your car protect you. If you get ejected from the vehicle, though, you not only lose those protections, but also get put into the middle of an ongoing car accident, where you are completely vulnerable.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only 11.8% of people involved in a fatal crash were ejected from their car. However, out of those that were killed in the crash, 25.1% were thrown from the vehicle.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
Rollover accidents and vehicle ejections are especially deadly when they come together. If you or someone you love has been in such a car accident, reach out to the personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office. We’ll fight for your rights and interests both in and out of court to ensure you get the help you need. Contact us online or at (816) 875-9373.