Fatal Car Accident Reports
A Closer Look at Deadly Car Crashes

Fatal car accident reports are not hard to come by. Every so often, we hear or read about reports of fatal car crashes happening all over the world.

Although a large percentage of car accidents that occur are not necessarily fatal, a considerable number of deaths caused by car crashes has been recorded. First, let’s take a look at what the numbers say.

Fatal Car Crashes: The Stats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records around 6.5 million car accidents every year in the United States alone. This is equivalent to around 250 billion dollars in cost. Out of this number, there is an average of 45,000 fatalities. When computed, this means that every 12 minutes, one person dies in a car crash.

Furthermore, the NHTSA also stated that around 40% of fatal car crashes are DUI cases. Also, actual statistics showed that there were 39,189 fatal car crashes in 2005, and these crashes killed 27,472 drivers, 10,036 passengers, 4,881 pedestrians, and 784 bicyclists, along with several other victims.

Aside from that, teenage car crashes are also linked to high rates of fatal car crashes. The fatality rate of teenage drivers aged 16 to 19 are four times higher than the fatality rate of drivers aged 25 to 29.

Common Causes of Fatal Crashes

There are three leading causes of fatal car crashes, namely over-speeding, driving under the influence, and SUV rollovers. These types of accidents are commonly found as the main cause of fatal car accident reports.

Here are some fatal car accident reports caused by each of these three common causes.

Fatal Speeding Crashes

Statistics say that around 80% of drivers are over the speed limit. This is a commonly known fact. Over-speeding has led to some of the most fatal car crashes reported. This is because the faster the speed of a vehicle is, the stronger the impact of a crash.

April 2009 fatal car accident reports include an over-speeding case that involved a teen driver and four fatalities, including the driver himself. All four fatalities were teenagers of the ages 16 and 17. The driver was 16 years old and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol; he was simply over-speeding by going at a rate of 70 mph where he should only be driving at 25 mph. The teen driver tried to pass another vehicle and eventually, the two collided. The Lexus driven by the teen driver crashed into a tree then flared up, killing all four passengers.

This is just one of the many fatal car crashes caused by over-speeding. Several other car accidents like this can be found in fatal car accident reports.

Fatal SUV Rollovers

Fatal car accident reports also include a lot of SUV rollover accidents. In one case, a Utah SUV rollover crash that involved three cars killed two people and injured six others. According to a news report, the victims were from the Los Angeles area. The accident occurred after the driver of a 1993 Range Rover swerved to avoid a deer.

As a result, the SUV rolled over several times, and the driver’s two children were thrown from the vehicle. A baby and another 31-year-old passenger died of head injuries, while the driver and the other passengers, along with two other drivers who were also affected by the accident, suffered various injuries.

SUV rollovers account for a large percentage of fatal car crashes, based on compiled fatal car accident reports. And since most SUVs are owned by families, a lot of the deaths tragically involve both old and young members of families.

These accidents have become very common and have put SUV manufacturers in a difficult situation as the accidents seem to be caused by the faulty design structure of most bulky SUVs, which have weak gravitational centers. In most SUV rollover cases, the victims are ejected from the vehicle and the fall usually leads to death or severe head injuries.

Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes

Recent fatal car accident reports include the tragic car crash that killed famous 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart. A talented pitcher, Nick Adenhart’s death became quite controversial after the fatal car accident was ruled as a hit-and-run. Adenhart died six hours after he pitched excellently in a game against Oakland.

According to reports, a minivan ran a red light and hit the car Adenhart was riding. The victims were rushed to the hospital, where Adenhart later died. Out of four passengers, three were killed, which included Adenhart. The driver of the minivan left the scene but was eventually apprehended and charged with felony hit and run and three murder counts.

Upon investigation, the accident was found to be a DUI case after the suspect’s blood alcohol concentration showed that he was three times over the legal limit of 0.08. Awaiting conviction, the driver Gallo could be looking at almost 55 years imprisonment.

Nick Adenhart’s case is just one of the overwhelming number of fatal car crashes caused by drunk driving.

The Verdict

As a driver, it helps to keep yourself up to date with reports on various fatal car accidents. These reports can help bring to your attention the dangers and the factors that contribute to them, which can affect you while driving. With these reports, you can see just how important it is to be a responsible driver.

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