Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Landover Tractor Trailer Collision Erupts into Flames

July 25, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Three teens were injured in a car accident in Landover earlier this month, and narrowly escaped further tragedy.

Authorities in Prince George’s County reported that a tractor trailer was pulling into a warehouse on Ardwick Ardmore Road just before midnight Tuesday when the collision occurred. The car became wedged under the trailer, but the teens were able to escape just before both vehicles reportedly caught fire.

A fire department spokesperson said that the tractor trailer was carrying materials used to manufacture mattresses at the time of the accident. It took fire crews approximately 20 minutes to fully extinguish the flames.

The teens were transported to local trauma centers. The driver of the truck was not seriously injured. The street was closed for a period of time while authorities cleared the scene, and conducted an initial investigation.

Maryland Man to Serve Time For Role in Tragic Accident

July 15, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last week a Maryland Man was sentenced to serve time in a County Jail for his role in a car accident last year that left one man dead.

The man was sentenced to nine to 23 months in jail following the fatal crash he reportedly caused last June.

Ronald Lee Streets pleaded guilty in April to the charges of reckless endangerment, vehicular homicide, and failing to immediately notify authorities of an accident.

According to police, the driver lost control of his vehicle while rounding a curve on Route 160, causing him and his passenger (the victim) to be ejected from the vehicle. He then walked to a neighborhood home to call two people asking for a ride before eventually calling 911.

An accident reconstructionist determined that the driver was traveling 11-14 miles per hour more than the relevant speed limit for the area.

In addition to jail time, Streets will serve three years on supervised probation following his release from jail, will be required to perform 100 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay $2,644 in restitution

3 Car Accident in California, Maryland

July 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Police, fire, and other rescue crews responded to the report of a three car accident along Airport Road in California last month. When the crews arrived, they discovered the three vehicles still in the roadway.

According to the initial investigation, authorities believe that a Dodge Caravan was traveling west on Airport Road, when it struck an Infiniti M45 that was in a turn lane waiting for the roadway to clear.

The initial collision’s impact from the Caravan caused the Infiniti to cross into oncoming traffic, which resulted in a collision with a BMW 735.

Three individuals were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries.

While the accident remains under investigation, the initial cause of the accident remains unreported.

Based on the circumstances as reported, whereby one vehicle crashed into a vehicle that was in a turning lane, it seems likely that one of two possible scenarios occurred. One potential explanation is that the car who which waiting to turn was pulled too far out into traffic, which left insufficient space for oncoming traffic to pass safely. The car could also have accelerated too soon in anticipation of turning, thus putting it farther into the path of oncoming traffic.

An alternative explanation is that the car which was waiting to turn was within a safe distance from oncoming traffic, and that it was the oncoming driver who either drove too closely to the turning car, misjudged the distance, or made some other error, which accidentally resulted in the collision.

Tragic Multi Car Collision in Anne Arundel County Claims Mother of Two

July 1, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A mother of two was tragically killed in a car accident that also left her two children injured. The accident occurred last Friday in Anne Arundel County.

Maryland State Police reported that the woman’s Honda Accord swerved across the grass median on Route 295, and then collided head-on with a box truck heading in the opposite direction. The woman’s two children, a 9 year old boy and an infant, were taken to the hospital for treatment. The driver of another vehicle was taken to the hospital, as well as were the three children of a third driver involved in the incident.It remains unclear whether these other vehicles were involved in the collision, or if, on the other hand, the injuries were sustained in an attempt to avoid impact.

Police are continuing their investigation into the collision, and at this point do not know why the woman’s car crossed the median.

Without further information, it is impossible to know exactly why the woman’s car not only left the roadway, but then continued into the oncoming traffic. Some common explanations can include reasons like:

An animal suddenly running into the roadway

Another driver making a sudden move that causes the individual to overreact/over-correct

A sudden obstruction entering the roadway, such as a truck losing its load

Aggressive drivers

Swerving to miss a pothole in the road

Distracted driving, such as handheld cellphone use or even passengers the driver finds distracting

Car Accident in Mechanicsville Sends Two Children to Trauma Center

June 28, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

This past Sunday, just after 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accident near the intersection of Thompson Corner Road and Dawn Acres Lane.

According to authorities, a driver of a Ford Bronco was traveling south on Thompson Corner Road, when he lost control of the vehicle. This caused him to leave the roadway, striking a utility pole, and several trees before his vehicle overturned.

The car reportedly had two juvenile passengers. The rear seat juvenile passenger was partially ejected from the vehicle, and had to be flown to Children’s Hospital. The front seat juvenile passenger was flown to another hospital as a precaution, and the driver of the Bronco was taken to another hospital for treatment of his minor injuries.

Additionally, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and began their investigation. So far alcohol and excessive speed do not appear to have been a contributing factor in the accident.

Driver Fleeing Police Causes Collision in South Baltimore

June 21, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A man attempting to flee from police in his sedan caused some extensive damage in South Baltimore. The chase began when an officer attempted to approach the man’s vehicle in the Mount Clare Junction area. The driver then drove away, eventually coming down Carey Street, where he hit a pickup truck passing through the Washington Boulevard intersection. The collision sent both vehicles into a tailspin, which came to rest near a light pole.

According to reports, the man was traveling with a 1 year old, who was not seriously harmed, and a 26 year old woman, who witnesses stated suffered a serious arm injury.

Police later identified the 26 year old man, and reported that he fled due to being wanted for assault and a narcotics violation. He was subsequently taken to Shock Trauma for non-life threatening injuries.

Following the collision, a team of firefighters worked to extricate the driver of the truck, which had ended up on top of the sedan. Authorities reported that the driver was transported to Shock Trauma for minor injuries.

Young Driver Killed in Md.194 Car Accident

June 14, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to Maryland State Police, an 18 year old young woman died last week, when she lost control of her vehicle in Taneytown and was hit by a van as a result.

Just after 8 last Monday morning, officials say the young woman was driving her car northbound on Md. 194, when she lost control of her vehicle while coming around a curve. The woman’s car then reportedly rotated into oncoming traffic, and was hit by a van. The young woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the man driving the van was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

While the cause of the accident remains unknown, it is under investigation.

What stands out about this unfortunate accident is the young age of the woman killed, and the circumstances in which the incident occurred. While it is still under investigation, it seems that the two potential causes were either distracted driving or driving inexperience.

Single Vehicle Car Accident in Silver Spring Ends in Tragedy

June 7, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic car accident in Silver Spring has lead to the death of one man, and the serious injury of another. According to police, the accident occurred early Thursday morning, at just before three a.m., when a man’s Honda Civic, which was travelling eastbound on University Boulevard West, lost control for unknown reasons as it was going around a curve just past Dennis Avenue. The car then veered off of the right side of the road, causing it to strike a tree and a brick wall, before coming to rest in a nearby parking lot. The driver later died as a result of his injuries. The man’s passenger was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his serious injuries.

While the cause of this single vehicle crash remains unclear, single vehicle crashes are becoming increasingly common. They have many potential causes, and can be due to the negligence of another driver or individual. Common causes of single vehicle crashes include things such as:

an obstruction or other hazard in the road

something falling out of a truck towing a load

an animal running into the street

swerving to avoid hitting another car that has stopped suddenly

turning to avoid running into another collision

distracted driving

aggressive driving

Whatever the cause, if you are hurt or a a loved one has been killed as a result of another person’s negligence in a single vehicle crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries or wrongful death.

America’s Roads Allegedly Safe as Ever

May 31, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Despite recent major traffic incidents across the country, the Associated Press is reporting that the nation’s roads are as safe as they’ve ever been.

According to their statistics, derailments and accidents at railroad crossings have been on the decline, despite an increased reliance on trains for transporting raw materials and finished products.

Purportedly, the numbers are as follows:

A 43% decrease in train accidents, to a total of 1,712 occurring from 2003 to 2012;

A 34% decrease in accidents occurring at railroad crossings, to 1,960 over the same period;

A 19% decrease in the number of deaths to a total of 705, which breaks down to an average of approximately 70-80 per year, nationwide.

Over time, railroads have made capital investments, strengthened employee training, and explored technological advances in order to anticipate the potential problems that lead to derailment.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration spokesman,
“Last year was the safest year on record for the railroad industry.” This may come as a surprise following the Baltimore accident this Tuesday, and the derailment of a commuter train in Connecticut earlier this month.

Failure to Observe Stop Sign Ends Tragically in Maryland

May 30, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, one Maryland driver’s alleged decision to run a stop sign resulted in the death of another woman, whose vehicle was struck in the collision.

The accident happened around 6 p.m. on May 9, according to Maryland State Police, at the intersection of Point Rocks and Lander roads. A driver of a Kia Sorento, which was traveling south on Lander road ran, the stop sign, and crashed into another woman’s Ford Escape, which was traveling west on Point of Rocks Road.

While the driver of the Escape was flown by police helicopter to Shock Trauma, she was pronounced dead upon arrival. The driver of the other vehicle was also injured, and taken to the hospital by ambulance. The accident led to the closure of Point Rocks Road for several hours.

This tragic accident is an all to clear illustration of the dangers that can result when drivers fail to obey traffic signals. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, in 2008 alone, there were more than 2.3 million intersection related collisions, resulting in 7,770 fatalities and approximately 733,000 injuries. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) found that red-light running crashes alone caused 762 deaths in the same year. At least 165,000 people are injured annually by red-light runners alone, according to estimates.