Earlier this month in Howard County, a young man was killed in an accident involving a snow plow. According to one local news report, the vehicle the young man was driving lost control around a corner and slammed into the front of a truck with a snow-plow attachment on the front.
The accident took place around nine in the morning on Route 97, near the Howard-Montgomery County line. Evidently, the young man was driving an Acura RSX and drifted out of his lane a bit while making a fairly sharp curve. As his vehicle exited his lane of travel and entered the shoulder, he encountered a patch of slush. The slush caused the driver to lose control of his vehicle, which then crossed into oncoming traffic where he collided with the snow plow.
The driver of the Acura was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. The snow plow had three passengers in it, all of whom were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still in the middle of conducting their investigation into the cause of the accident. However, preliminary investigations suggest that the driver of the Acura was traveling too fast when he entered the curve, causing him to leave his lane and end up on the shoulder.
Winter Weather Brings Increase in Fatal Accidents
There can be no doubt that the East Coast is experiencing some record-cold weather this winter. This kind of icy, frigid weather creates an increased risk of ice on the road, which in turn results in a higher number of accidents.
Winter accidents tend to vary in type among those involving snow, ice, or poor visibility. Often, winter accidents involve lower speeds and head-on collisions, similar to the accident described above. Another common type of winter accident is a rear-end accident due to slippery road surfaces.
Drivers can’t be held responsible for the weather, but they are responsible for adapting their driving behaviors to the inclement conditions. When an accident is caused and it seems like it may be due in part to the circumstances of the weather, investigators look into the speed at which all drivers were traveling. Even if a driver is traveling at a below-the-limit speed, they can still be found to be “at fault” for an accident if the weather conditions require even slower travel.
Have You Been Involved in a Winter Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in an multi-vehicle winter accident, whether it involved snow, rain, ice, or poor visibility, you may be entitled to monetary damages based on the other driver’s failure to safely operate their vehicle. To learn more about the various types of Maryland car accident lawsuits, and how you may be able to recover for the accident that you have been involved in, call 410-654-3600 and speak to a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney. Calling to speak to an attorney is free, so there is no risk for you in doing so.
More Blog Posts:
Sport Utility Vehicle Crashes into High-School Cafeteria, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published December 2, 2014.
Uninsured Driver Convicted for Maryland Girl’s Death, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published January 19, 2014.