Driver Falls Asleep and Causes Tragic Head-On Collision

STATESVILLE, NC- Wbtv.com writes that a woman died in a wreck when her vehicle collided head-on with a car driven by a man who fell asleep at the wheel. The collision occurred in the afternoon on Lippard Farm Road near Statesville. The victim was traveling southbound in a Toyota Camry.*

A 25-year-old man operating a Dodge Caravan in the northbound lanes caused the collision when he drifted across the center line and struck the Camry head-on. The force of the crash caused the Toyota to collide with a guardrail. Responders declared the victim dead at the scene. 

According to the police, the man driving the Caravan fell asleep and then drifted into oncoming traffic. 

Charges against the young man are pending. 

Head-on collisions involve immense forces even at modest speeds. Cars that have five-star safety ratings for frontal collisions are typically only tested for head-on crashes at about 40 miles per hour between two vehicles of about the same size. Studies indicate that above 43 miles per hour, the chances of a person dying in a head-on collision are high. This is true even for occupants who are using seatbelts and traveling in safe vehicles that are equipped with airbags. While manufacturers would like to create cars that are able to protect occupants at even higher speeds, doing so is extremely difficult.

Unfortunately, the knowledge we possess related to accident risks and safety has not translated well into road design. There are many highways across the United States that allow for traffic to travel at 45 miles per hour or higher without providing any form of barrier between lanes. These roadways put drivers just a few feet away from oncoming vehicles. All that is needed is a momentary loss of focus for a driver to drift over the center line leading to a fatal crash. 

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.wbtv.com/2020/01/05/woman-killed-iredell-county-wreck-caused-by-driver-who-fell-asleep/ and https://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/how-to-survive-a-head-on-collision-slow-down-to-below-43mph/