Teen Killed in Tragic Accident in Walhalla, South Carolina

WALHALLA, SC- Foxcarolina.com writes that police are investigating a crash between two-vehicles that caused the death of a fourteen-year-old girl from Walhalla. The crash occurred on Blue Ridge Boulevard during the early morning.*

Reports state that the crash took place on SC-28 close to West Union Road when six youths were in a car heading west on Union Road and reportedly failed to yield as they were turning onto SC-28. A 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis struck the car in which the victim was traveling. 

The teen died from her injuries, and two people in the Mercury were also injured. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes that car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States. Car crashes killed 2,364 teens between the ages of sixteen and nineteen in 2017. Another 300,000 or so sustained injuries in crashes and received treatment in emergency rooms. 

Teenage drivers face a much higher risk of dying in a car crash than adults ages twenty and over. Teens who are the highest risk include males, teens in the car with other teenagers, and newly licensed drivers. Male drivers are twice as likely to be involved in a crash than a female driver. The chances of teens being involved in a wreck rises with each additional teen in a car. When teenagers have only just received their licenses, they are at the most risk of being in a crash. 

Inexperience is one of the main factors in the crashes, as is speeding, alcohol use, and the failure to use a seatbelt. Teens are less likely to use a seatbelt that older motorists. 

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.foxcarolina.com/news/coroner-says-one-fatality-in-crash-near-walhalla-along-blue/article_367f6c38-6e87-11ea-b775-d392f32ed025.html

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html