Tragic Head-On Collision Kills Passenger in Laurens County, South Carolina

LAURENS COUNTY, SC- Wyff4.com writes that a 76-year-old woman in an SUV died in a head-on collision earlier this week. The victim reportedly died from blunt force trauma to her chest.*

The early morning wreck took place on Highway 14, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol. The drivers of both vehicles involved were injured in the crash, and responders transported them to a local hospital.

The crash occurred when a Chevy sedan driving eastbound crossed the center line into westbound traffic, striking the SUV. Reports did not indicate why the driver operating the sedan entered oncoming traffic. 

Head-on collisions are often lethal, and even the safest vehicles on the market can only protect occupants at modest speeds. A study conducted on the forces involved in head-on collisions found that once the involved vehicles are traveling above 43 miles per hour, there is a strong chance that the crash will prove fatal. The issue is that even when the vehicle is absorbing as much of the force as possible, after a certain point, the body will have to endure some of the impact, and even the force of the seatbelt on a person’s body can prove dangerous after certain speeds. 

Drivers can and should stay alert and focused and drive at a reasonable speed. However, being a cautious driver can only prevent a person from causing a head-on collision. When another driver veers suddenly and without warning into cars moving in the opposite direction, there is often little or no time to avoid impact. The best way to protect yourself and your passengers is to avoid traveling on undivided roads with high-speed limits. These roads make it far too easy for a momentary loss of focus to result in a deadly collision. 

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.wyff4.com/article/passenger-dies-in-head-on-crash-in-laurens-county-troopers-say/30532777 and https://www.thecarcrashdetective.com/how-to-survive-a-head-on-collision-slow-down-to-below-43mph/