Archive for July, 2012

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26
Jul

Lynchburg Teens Learn the Dangers of the Road from Mock Crash Scene

July 26, 2012

Last year in the state of Virginia, 20 teenagers were killed and another 522 were injured as the result of alcohol related motor vehicle accidents. According to an article from WSLS 10 News, an organization called Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety is hoping to reduce those numbers by setting up a mock drunk driving accident scene for teens to investigate.

A Virginia Car Accident scene was set up earlier this week on Lynchburg College’s campus, and it will remain there through Friday. Teens and young adults are able to inspect the crash scene and search for clues as to what may have happened. Without giving away specific details of the crash, the exercise is meant to point out the dangers of not wearing seat belts as well as the potential risks of drinking and distracted driving.

Many participants stated that the program really hits home because they were allowed to get up close and truly see the consequences of a traffic accident. One young woman stated, “It is a bit of a shock when you come down here if you have never seen [a crash] before and it shows you what really happens.”

The Roanoke Personal Injury Lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm are hopeful that the program will make participants think twice about unsafe driving behavior every time they get in a car.

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19
Jul

Head-on Lynchburg Crash Leaves Seven People Injured

July 19, 2012

Studies show that while head-on collisions account for only about two percent of all types of car accidents, yet they account for 10 percent of all fatal accidents. Around 75 percent of these accidents occur on rural two lane roads, suggesting that driver error may be a leading cause for this kind of crash. Data from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that 93 percent of head-on fatalities involved vehicles going straight or negotiating a curve.

Locally, two groups of motorists are lucky to have survived such a collision. According to The News & Advance, the accident occurred at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday afternoon along Boonsboro Road in Lynchburg. It left seven passengers of the two vehicles involved seriously injured.

Reports indicate that the accident occurred when a 2000 Buick Century, driven by a 75-year-old Lynchburg man, crossed over the center median lines of the highway and struck a Ford minivan driven by a 37-year-old woman head-on.

All were taken to a local hospital where the driver of the Buick and two passengers in the van remain listed in critical condition. The driver of the van is in stable condition, while three other passengers were treated and released.

The Lynchburg Personal Injury Lawyers at the Skolrood Law Firm would like to remind drivers that obeying the speed limit and staying focused on the road at all times are your two best bets for avoiding a Virginia Personal Injury.

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12
Jul

One Power Company Employee Killed and Another Injured in Virginia Truck Accident

A 57-year-old Gulf Power Co. employee from Florida was killed last week as the result of a Virginia Truck Accident that also injured her co-worker as they were restoring power to the storm-ravaged region. According to an article from the Pensacola News Journal, the crash happened on last Tuesday at approximately 7:20 p.m. on Route 7 near Bluemont, Virginia.

Loudon County Sheriff’s Department officials stated that witnesses say the worker seemed to be experiencing problems with her brakes as she drove southbound on the highway near Blueridge Mountain Road. As the vehicle built up speed, the driver swerved around other vehicles in her convoy until reaching the intersection with Harry Byrd Highway, where she collided with an eastbound tractor-trailer. The impact of the collision then forced the tractor-trailer to skid across the highway and hit a pickup truck carrying two occupants.

The power company employee driving the truck died at the scene. Her 21-year-old passenger survived the accident and was taken to a local hospital to receive treatment. The two passengers in the pickup, as well as the driver of the tractor-trailer, suffered minor injuries. They were transported to local medical facilities to be examined further.

The Roanoke Personal Injury Lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm would like to send the condolences to the family of the worker who died and would like to wish all who were injured a speedy and full recovery.

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5
Jul

No Seat Belts Considered Contributing Factor in Fatal I-81 Crash

July 5, 2012

Studies have long shown that seat belt usage significantly increases the chances of survival while also decreasing the risk of injury in an accident by as much as 50 percent. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that seat belts save as many as 14,000 lives each year.

Unfortunately, a recent accident involving an unbelted 73-year-old woman from Carrollton, Virginia ended in tragedy. According to WDBJ 7 News, the woman was killed and her husband was left injured due to a Roanoke Car Accident. The crash happened on I-81 at around 1:20 p.m. this past Tuesday.

Reports indicate that the couple was traveling northbound on the highway, with two young children riding in the rear passenger seat when their SUV veered off the shoulder of the road. The driver jerked the wheel back toward the highway, causing the vehicle to roll several times before coming to rest.

The victim and her husband, neither of whom were wearing seat belts, were both ejected from the vehicle, which killed the woman and left her husband seriously injured. Troopers say it is highly likely the woman would have survived and her husband’s injuries would have been less severe had they been buckled in at the time of the crash.

The Roanoke Personal Injury Lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm ask that all motorists buckle up when they get in a car and demand that their passengers do the same.

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