A terrible car accident killed three people in Platte City, 30 miles south of St. Joseph and 25 miles north of Kansas City. The circumstances of the accident suggest that it was the result of a distracted driver who was not paying attention to his surroundings.
Crash Between St. Joseph and Kansas City Kills Three
The crash happened just after noon on Friday, May 12, 2017. Because of traffic, a tractor trailer truck and an SUV were stopped in the right lane of Interstate 29 near the exit for Tracy, Missouri. Suddenly, a pickup truck rammed into the back of the SUV at nearly full speed. The collision pushed the SUV into the back of the tractor trailer in front of it. After hitting the truck, the SUV flipped over and landed on its roof.
The driver and both of the passengers in the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The driver of the pickup truck, who was not wearing a seatbelt, suffered serious personal injuries that required immediate treatment at North Kansas City Hospital. A passenger in the pickup truck also went to the hospital, but had only sustained minor injuries in the crash.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, distracted driving is a possible culprit. Both the tractor trailer and the SUV were completely stopped in the right lane due to road construction further down the road. The driver of the pickup truck, however, seems not to have noticed, slamming into them at nearly full speed.
The Toll of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has quickly become one of the leading causes of car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,477 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers in 2015. Another 391,000 people suffered personal injuries at the hands of a distracted driver. The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that distracted drivers accounted for 10% of all fatal crashes in the United States that year, as well as 14% of the total car accidents.
Distracted Driving is Not Just Texting on the Cell Phone
While much of the focus in recent years has been on drivers who are talking or texting on the cell phone while behind the wheel, that’s only one way that you can drive while distracted. Anything that takes your attention off the road is a distraction, including eating or drinking, adjusting the radio or stereo, or reprimanding children in the back seat. Any of these activities can pull a driver’s attention away from their surroundings, making them miss a hugely important development on the road.
St. Joseph Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
When someone else is driving while distracted, they are putting your life at risk. If you are at the wrong place at the wrong time, it can be you who pays the price for their negligence.
If this happens to you or someone you love, you deserve to be compensated for what you’ve lost. This is where the personal injury attorneys at the Smith Law Office can help. Contact us online or call our St. Joseph law office at (816) 875-9373 for the legal representation you need.