Head-on collisions account for less than 15% of the motor vehicle accidents in Georgia and around the country, but they are often fatal due to the forces involved. These accidents are especially dangerous when trucks collide. An accident of this type took place in Houston County on the afternoon of Jan. 19. It claimed the life of one person and left two others badly injured. Police could not immediately identify the cause of the crash, but this kind of accident is often caused by impairment, drowsiness or distraction.
Emergency workers respond
The deadly accident took place on Dunbar Road between Fairgrounds Boulevard and Story Road in Robins. Emergency operators dispatched rescue workers and deputies from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office to the scene at approximately 1:27 p.m. When they arrived, they found the wreckage of two pickup trucks. Paramedics pronounced the woman behind the wheel of one of the trucks dead at the scene. They rushed her male passenger and the lone occupant of the second truck to a trauma center in Macon.
Distraction and confusion
Road safety experts believe that advanced automobile navigation and entertainment systems and the growing popularity of smartphones could lead to even more head-on collisions in the future. Drivers often use these devices while their vehicles are in motion, which can cause them to take their eyes off the road for several seconds. This is more than enough time to cross the center line between lanes of traffic.
Electronic evidence
When individuals are injured in truck accidents caused by drivers who may have been on a cellphone or programming an electronic device when they crashed, experienced personal injury attorneys may use subpoenas to obtain cellphone records and data stored on vehicle black boxes. Attorneys might then be able to use this electronic evidence to establish distraction and negligence in court.