A recent crash on the Bend Parkway sent a ten-year-old boy to the hospital with critical injuries. This tragedy highlights the serious nature of head-on collisions, which are among the most serious and deadly type of car accident.
The accident occurred in the morning of April 19th on the Bend Parkway near the Northwest Hawthorne Avenue exit. A 2007 Chevy Silverado pickup travelling in the northbound lane crossed over the center median and collided with a Subaru Impreza heading south. The driver of the Chevy, a 33-year-old Bend resident, was trapped in his vehicle and had to be removed by Bend fire crews, although his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening. The driver of the Subaru, a 27-year-old Bend resident, did not appear to suffer injuries which were noticeable at the time of the accident. Unfortunately, his passenger, a ten-year-old boy, was critically injured in the crash. The child was taken to St. Charles Medical Center – Bend and later flown to a Portland hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Thankfully, his condition was upgraded to fair a few days later.
Oregon State Police had the southbound lanes blocked for over an hour while they investigated the accident, and police are asking any witnesses to the crash to come forward. Meanwhile, we wish the boy a full and complete recovery.
Head-on collisions are the most dangerous, deadly car crashes
Head-on or frontal crashes are considered to be the type of car accident which are most likely to result in driver fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Even though head-on collisions make up only around two percent of car accidents in the US annually, they are responsible for approximately ten percent of all traffic-related fatalities each year.
One reason that frontal crashes are so serious is simple physics. In a rear-end collision or side impact crash, the force which the striking car imparts to the victim’s vehicle is actually lessened by the different trajectory of the vehicle getting hit. In a head-on collision, however, the energy of both vehicles are combined, greatly magnifying the force of the impact. The faster each car is traveling, the more violent the impact.
Another reason frontal crashes often result in serious injury is the fact that these accidents frequently occur because the negligent driver is either impaired by alcohol or drugs, or has fallen asleep at the wheel or lacks attention due to drowsiness and fatigue. These drivers drift into an oncoming lane without realizing it and therefore do not attempt to brake or take other steps to lessen the impact of an impending crash.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in an Oregon car accident caused by another driver’s negligence through impaired, distracted or drowsy driving, contact the Bend law office of Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Attorneys, PC for a no-cost consultation at 541-604-8818. We can arrange to meet you at our offices in Bend, Portland, Eugene, Medford, Roseburg and Grants Pass, or we can come to you.