Maryland State Police are investigating an accident that happened earlier this week, which left a Chesapeake Beach teenager dead and three other individuals injured.
The accident occurred Wednesday morning, when a Camaro driven by a 20 year old girl was traveling west on East Mt. Harmony Road, and for unknown reasons the car crossed over the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic. The Camaro then collided with a Honda Ridgeline truck, driven by a 77 year old man.
The front passenger of the Camaro, a 17 year old girl, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Camaro was transported by helicopter to a local medical center. A 10 year old passenger in the Camaro was transported by helicopter to a local children’s hospital.
The driver of the Ridgeline was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Authorities reported that they do not believe that alcohol and drugs were a contributing factor to the accident, and that the investigation is ongoing.
While information regarding the cause of this accident is not available, sadly teenagers are the most at risk for being involved in serious and fatal car accidents. The potential causes of teens being at risk include being less experienced at driving overall, inability to judge driving conditions as well as their adult counterparts, and what may have potentially been the cause in this case: distractions within the vehicle.
While handheld cell phone use is one common cause of distraction, engaging with passengers is also a considerable distraction for young drivers. While the driver in this case was 20, provisional license holders under the age of 18 in Maryland may not have any passengers under the age of 18 in their vehicle during the first five months (151 days) of the provisional period, unless they are accompanied by a qualified supervising driver or the passengers are direct family members.
Car accidents usually happen because one driver was at fault. The theory of fault in car accident lawsuits is usually negligence, meaning that the driver responsible for causing the accident failed to act reasonably in the operation of his or her vehicle. A driver is required to drive in the way that a reasonably prudent person would drive. A driver cannot drive in such a way as to needlessly endanger other motorists or pedestrians. In other words, drivers must drive at a safe speed. Deviations from this rule can constitute negligence. Typical examples of negligence include excessive speeding, failure to yield, and failure to observe traffic lights. The burden of showing negligence falls on the individual bringing the suit, referred to as the plaintiff. The plaintiff must show that the driver of the other vehicle was not acting as a reasonably prudent driver would have acted and that the failure caused the party’s injuries.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident in Maryland, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers immediately. Preservation and documentation of evidence is critical, and the earlier you contact us, the earlier we can advise you regarding how to proceed. We have extensive experience in aggressively advocating on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered due to personal injury or wrongful death as a result of a car accident. If you believe that your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact us today by calling 1-800-654-1949, or through our website, in order to schedule your free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Landover Tractor Trailer Collision Erupts into Flames, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published July 25, 2013
Maryland Man to Serve Time For Role in Tragic Accident, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published July 15, 2013