Fatal High Speed Collision of NFL Player Provides a Cautionary Tale
The recent fatal car crash involving former NFL linebacker Thomas Howard, who was cut last week by the Atlanta Falcons, serves as a tragic reminder of the danger associated with driving at excessive rates of speed. When motorists exceed the speed limit or drive at a rate of speed that is inadequate given existing road conditions, the probability of a collision and the seriousness of any injuries increase significantly. A spokesman for the highway patrol in the state where the collision occurred indicated that Howard's BMW was traveling at a rate of 100-110 miles per hours according to witnesses at the scene of the accident. Our Atlanta car accident lawyers at Montlick and Associates express our deepest condolences to the victims of this crash and their families.
Witnesses indicated that Hill struck the back of a tractor-trailer after losing control of the vehicle while trying to maneuver at this extremely high rate of speed. The force of the crash propelled the BMW into the adjacent lane of traffic where traffic was flowing in the opposite direction. The BMW then collided with a second vehicle before striking a Honda CRV. Both Howard and the person who was driving the Honda died at the scene of the fatal collision.
Speeding is one of the most significant factors in car crashes that result in severe injury and wrongful death. A study by the Institute for Road Safety Research indicates that speeding is a factor in approximately one in three car crashes. The agency also reports that despite the role that excess speed plays in causing serious traffic accidents approximately 40-50 percent of drivers continue to violate the speed limit.
Studies reveal that the likelihood of an accident resulting in the death of a vehicle occupant increases substantially as the speed of vehicles increase though other factors like the relative weight of the vehicles also affect crash fatality rates. While the force of impact generated by high rates of speed is important in all types of motor vehicle accidents, research involving pedestrian accidents provide a graphic example. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites research show the following direct correlation between speed and fatality rates in motor vehicle accidents:
• 30 miles per hour – forty percent fatality rate
• 40 miles per hour – eighty percent fatality rate
• 50 miles per hour – Almost 100 percent fatality rate
High rates of speed not only increase the risk of fatal injury but also the likelihood that a crash will occur because drivers have less time to respond to a road emergency by taking evasive action or braking. Further, vehicles may be more difficult to operate at higher rates of speed which makes it more likely that a driver may lose control of a vehicle when turning, swerving or navigating a curve in the roadway.
When a driver causes a collision because the driver is exceeding the speed limit or traveling too rapidly given road conditions, this may constitute a basis for financial compensation for injuries and property loss suffered in a collision.
Call For Your Free Consultation With an Experienced Atlanta Auto Accident Attorney
If you or someone close to you has been injured in an Atlanta auto accident, our Atlanta auto accident attorneys have been representing injury victims for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.
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