Collision Knocks Powerlines Down in Durham, North Carolina

DURHAM, NC- Abc11.com writes that a roadway in Durham shut down following a single-vehicle wreck earlier this week. The incident took place on Cornwallis Road in the early evening. The eastbound vehicle struck a utility pole and shut down power for well over one thousand people in the area. The day after the crash, the local high school opened two-hours late because of the ongoing power outage. Police stated that three people sustained major injuries in the crash, including two juveniles. *

Fixed object collisions are crashes in which cars strike a tree, utility pole, or other object located near the roadway. These accidents are often deadly, and about twenty percent of people who are killed in crashes each year die in fixed object wrecks leading to a total of 7,422 deaths in 2018. Utility poles are the object involved in about twelve percent of these incidents, but trees account for the largest share by accounting for 48 percent of fixed object collisions. 

Reports indicate that one of the main causes of fixed object collisions is alcohol impairment. About 40 percent of all fixed object crashes are the result of a drunk driver. The overwhelming majority of these incidents, 95 percent, involve just one vehicle. Fatalities are common because cars may overturn, and passengers may be ejected. Ejections from vehicles are almost always fatal. About half of fixed object accident deaths occur on rural roads, and 45 percent take place in locations with speed limits of 55 miles per hour or higher. These incidents are also more likely at night than during the daytime, and nearly all of these crashes are completely preventable.

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://abc11.com/5883562/ and https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/collisions-with-fixed-objects-and-animals