Faulty brakes, poorly designed suspension systems and incorrectly maintained running gear are just a few of the potential causes of fatal car or truck crashes. And, the odds of having a deadly single-vehicle traffic accident typically increases as the car, truck or motorcycle speed rises. While many one-car wrecks can be the result of driver error, police crash investigators typically consider the possibility of defective vehicle equipment when reconstructing a motor vehicle accident.
As Maryland personal injury attorneys and Baltimore auto accident lawyers, each of our staff works to represent the victims of car collisions and the families of individual killed as a result of another person’s negligence. Whether an accident occurs in the District, Hagerstown, Frederick, Salisbury, or any of the dozens of towns and cities across the state, the human toll of a commercial truck wreck or passenger car collision can be just as devastating.
A story not long ago described a crash that involved only one car, but claimed the life of the driver. Although police were still investigating the incident at the time of the news story, authorities had already ruled out drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash. Defective equipment, such as a broken steering linkage or blown-out tire could have contributed to such an accident, but there was nothing stated in the article to indicate that this was the case.
According to news reports, a driver apparently lost control of his 2005 Nissan along a stretch of Interstate 95 in Beltsville, MD, which then led to a fatal Saturday morning wreck. Information provided by the Maryland State Police indicated that 30-year-old Davon Cruz died just after 8am when he reportedly lost control of his Maxima sedan.
The car was traveling south on I-95 near Powder Mill Road in Beltsville when for some reason it overturned and hit a light pole next to the highway. While it is more common to hear of sport utility vehicles, minivans and other passenger vehicles with high centers of gravity to experience a rollover situation, the results can be just as serious for the occupants of a sedan or economy car.
Head trauma, neck and spine injury, and broken bones are common injuries resulting from rollover crashes. In this case there was no reason stated for the events that precipitated the reported loss of control and subsequent rollover of the man’s vehicle.
When emergency rescue crews from Prince George’s County arrived at the crash site, police reports indicate that the driver had to be cut out of his crumpled vehicle. Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other passengers in the car at the time of the accident, said police.
Fairfax man killed in crash on I-95 in Beltsville, Gazette.net, January 3, 2011