Two Remain in Critical Condition Following Tragic Fatal Crash on Highway 16

NEWTON, NC- Hickoryrecord.com writes that two people are still in critical condition after a crash this week on NC 16. Two others in the vehicle died in the severe collision. The survivors include an 86-year-old man from Newton and an 80-year-old woman also from Newton. Both are in the Atrium Carolinas Medical Center receiving treatment for their injuries.*

The man was operating the 2015 Ford Escape when the vehicle veered off the roadway and struck a tree. Two female passengers, both of whom were 84 years old, died in the wreck. One of the women died at the scene while the other passed away in the hospital one day after the incident. Reports indicate that the SUV was traveling at 45 miles per hour when it collided with the tree. The speed limit at the location of the crash is 45 miles per hour. The SUV turned onto its side in the crash. The images of the Escape show severe damage, and the front two tires are torn from the mangled vehicle. 

Run-off-the road collisions kill thousands of people every year. About one out of every five crash-related fatalities occurs when a car leaves the pavement and strikes an object on the side of the road. The most commonly struck roadside object is a tree. Many cars that are involved in fixed object wrecks then rollover, which can cause vehicle ejections and increase the risk of death for occupants. Seatbelts can help lower the chances of being thrown in a rollover crash.The main causes of run-off-the road collisions include driver inattentiveness, driver fatigue, speeding, and driving under the influence. 

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.hickoryrecord.com/hdr/driver-and-passenger-remain-in-critical-condition-after-tuesday-hwy/article_0e90e43e-2e36-5b2c-8b80-d7703e6a299d.html and https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/collisions-with-fixed-objects-and-animals and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3503426/