Three Elementary School Children Killed After Two Vehicles Run a Red Light
On Monday, June 1, a fatal accident in Augusta tragically claimed the lives of three young children, according to WRDW TV. The children were riding in a Toyota Corolla, all wearing seatbelts, when a truck hit their vehicle from the side. Investigators report that moments before the Riverwatch Parkway accident, both drivers ran a red light, hitting one another. The accident report does not assign blame to either party, but the investigation is ongoing and charges may still be issued.
An eight year old riding in the passenger side of the vehicle nearest the point of impact was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The other two children survived for some time in the hospital but sadly passed away due to their extensive injuries. The entire community has been rocked by this catastrophic loss of lives so young.
Red Light Running
Running red lights is a serious safety issue across the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (downloads PDF report) released a report in 2008 that found there were more than 2.3 million intersection related accidents, resulting in over 7,770 fatalities and about 733,000 injuries. Moreover, red light running was the cause of at least 763 deaths in 2008.
An estimated 165,000 people annually will be injured by drivers running red lights. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS (downloads PDF report), about half of all people killed in red light accidents are the drivers, passengers, or pedestrians hit by run light runners.
Stop Red Light Running
As these statistics demonstrate, running red lights is a serious safety issue for all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians across the United States. In 1995, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) created the Stop Red-Light Running Program to educate the public as to the dangers of running red lights and increase enforcement at the local level. A part of this effort is National Stop on Red Week, which takes place once a year in August.
In 1998, Daimler Chrysler and the American Trauma Society (ATS) joined forces with FHWA to increase the program's national impact. For some time afterward, the program targeted communities and was able to reduce red light running by 15 percent. Though the partnership is no longer active, the FHWA continues to utilize programs developed in an effort to combat the problem.
Anyone injured in an accident caused by another person or party should consult with a knowledgeable automobile accident attorney as soon as possible who can preserve evidence and advise on what actions should be taken in order to obtain compensation. These accidents will often involve instances of negligence and severe injuries for which accident victims can be entitled to compensation.
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Source:
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/redlight/
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/redlight/outreach/