Posted in Car Accident,Tennessee Accident Law on January 18, 2017
Multiple Injuries Reported after Wrong-Way Accident on Murfreesboro Road
Two vehicles collided head-on near Nashboro Village in Davidson County early Wednesday morning, resulting in three people suffering serious injuries.
Per a report by WKRN.com, the accident occurred near the Shumate Lane intersection near Una Antioch Pike on Murfreesboro Road at around midnight Wednesday.
A Metro Nashville Police officer told reporters that a wrong-way driver entered the outbound lanes, forcing another driver to swerve to avoid a head-on collision. However, the two vehicles brushed against each other despite attempts to avoid a collision. That impact caused the wrong-way vehicle to crash head-on into another car.
The wrong-way driver suffered critical injuries in the accident and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to receive life-saving treatment.
The drivers of the other two vehicles involved in the accident were transported to TriStar Summit Medical Center to receive treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
Emergency responders closed Murfreesboro Road until just before 5 a.m. as they worked to clear the scene and investigate the accident.
What Makes Wrong-Way Accidents So Dangerous?
In 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board released a special report on wrong-way accidents that investigated all aspects of these collisions, including their severity. The findings showed these types of crashes are among the deadliest, despite accounting for only around three percent of all car accidents in the country.
Some facts that illustrate why wrong-way crashes are so dangerous and likely to result in critical or fatal injuries include:
When a wrong-way crash occurs, there’s a 22 percent chance that a driver or passenger will die. In comparison, all other types of car accidents have less than a one percent chance of a fatality. The high fatality rate is because most wrong-way accidents occur at high speed and involve head-on collisions.
Alcohol impairs drivers’ ability to make good judgments, react quickly, and clearly see the road ahead. It can also cause them to drive more aggressively and with less caution. That means wrong-way accidents that are caused by alcohol often occur with one driver failing to swerve or avoid a collision, resulting in direct and often head-on impacts. Those impacts concentrate large amounts of force directly at drivers and passengers, putting them at extreme risk of suffering fatal injuries.
Wrong-way accidents are much more likely to occur when visibility is low. Whether it’s nighttime, sunset, or sunrise, the chances of a wrong-way collision happening are much more likely than during daytime hours. In addition, these types of accidents are more likely to occur during nighttime hours on weekends, as more drivers are intoxicated during that time.
In addition to these facts, it’s also important to know that drivers over the age of 70 are overrepresented in wrong-way accident statistics. Because these drivers may suffer from reduced visual acuity and difficulty reading highway and interstate signs, they can inadvertently enter high-speed roadways heading in the wrong direction. Because of their age, they are more likely to suffer disabling and fatal injuries during wrong-way accidents than people in other age groups.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Nashville auto accident attorneys know that most wrong-way accidents are preventable. When drivers abstain from drinking alcohol and drive cautiously, they’re far less likely to enter roadways heading in the wrong direction, which also reduces their risk of being involved in potentially deadly head-on collisions.
If you or someone you know was injured in a wrong-way accident, there’s a good chance it was caused by someone else’s negligence—and that means you should pursue a claim for compensation for things like medical bills and lost wages. To find out how our legal team can use its two decades of experience to build a strong case for you, dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form.
