Tragic Gaston County Collision Kills Two in Gaston County, North Carolina

GASTON COUNTY, NC- Wcnc.com writes that two women died in a tragic early morning accident over the weekend in Gaston County. The vehicle the victims were traveling in left the roadway and crashed into trees along the Charles Paper Jonas Highway.*

Police say that the victims were 26 and 28 years old. No further information about the identities of the victims has been released. It is not clear what caused the collision. 

Single-vehicle run-off the road crashes are some of the deadliest collisions on the roadway. About one out of every five people killed in a car crash dies in a single-vehicle incident. Many of these crashes involve cars leaving the pavement and striking a roadside object. Other fatal single-vehicle incidents are often those that include vehicles flipping over. Rollover crashes only account for around three percent of all crashes, and yet about thirty percent of car crash victims die in these wrecks. 

Of course, occupants who use seatbelts are far less likely to die in any crash. In rollovers, one of the most considerable risks is that a person will be ejected from their vehicle. The risk of ejection is significantly reduced with the use of a seatbelt. 

Road design could help lower the risks of fixed object crashes by having more space between objects and the pavement. If drivers are offered more time to correct, they can avoid striking trees, utility poles, and other objects placed close to the street. 

Rural roadways are statistically more dangerous than urban roads because of the higher speeds and the smaller lanes which make for unforgiving driving conditions. Traveling at a safe speed, remaining alert and sober can help drivers avoid these collisions. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/two-killed-in-early-morning-crash/275-a411998c-7d97-4348-a026-b9e4391a88bb and https://www.forbes.com/2010/09/22/avoid-single-car-crashes-lifestyle-vehicles-driving-safety.html and https://www.npr.org/2009/11/29/120716625/the-deadliest-roads-are-rural and https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/rollover-101/index.htm