Earlier this week in St. Mary’s County, a tragic early-morning accident took the life of one motorist and injured another near the intersection of Route 5 and Route 6. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred at around eight in the morning, involved two vehicles, and occurred when one ran a red light and drove into the path of the other.
Evidently, a Toyota Avalon was heading eastbound on Route 6 when it failed to stop for a red light. At the same time, a Volvo was heading southbound on Route 5. As the Toyota entered the intersection through the red light, the Volvo collided with the driver’s side door of the Toyota.
The driver of the Toyota was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the Volvo sustained some injuries and was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital by ambulance. There was also a minor child in the Volvo who is expected to be fine.
At the moment, police do not believe that alcohol was a factor in the fatal car accident, but they are conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Running Red Lights
To be sure, pushing through a yellow light in hopes of catching it before it turns red is a common occurrence for most drivers. However, most of the time—barring some kind of emergency—drivers do not consciously decide to run blatantly red lights.
When a driver runs a solid red light, it is most often the case that the driver was not paying attention to the road for any number of reasons. For example, a driver may be distracted by any of the following and fail to see that the light in front of him or her was indeed red:
- A cell-phone or texting conversation,
- A conversation with a passenger in the vehicle,
- Reading a newspaper,
- Daydreaming,
- Dealing with a child in the back seat, or
- Eating, drinking, or grooming.
These are all common caused of distracted driving accidents that we see on a frequent basis.
Accidents Caused By Distracted Driving
Whenever a driver causes an accident due to distracted driving, he or she can be held liable for any injuries caused as a result. In the case above, the at-fault driver sadly died as a result of the accident. However, that driver’s insurance will remain responsible for any injuries to other parties who were injured as a result of the deceased person’s negligent driving.
Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Car Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a Maryland car accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help you deal with the costs of your injuries. In some cases, you may also be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering that was caused as a result of the other driver’s negligence. To learn more, call 410-654-3600 to set up a free initial consultation with a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney.
More Blog Posts:
One Injured, Another Killed in Olney Head-On Collision, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published October 9, 2014.
Single-Vehicle Accident Takes the Life of One Fifteen-Year-Old and Injures Two Others, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published September 3, 2014.