Most of the time, when people get behind the wheel of a vehicle, they’re concentrating on where they’re going or thinking about things they need to do. Few people are thinking about the dangers of car accidents or the chances of being involved in a wreck, especially if they themselves are generally good drivers. Unfortunately, just because someone is a skilled driver doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be able to avoid an accident, since other drivers aren’t always so careful. This is apparently what happened in a recent two-vehicle crash in Howland that resulted in four people being taken to Ohio hospitals.
At around 7:29 p.m. on the evening of Friday, Dec. 27, a Ford Focus was traveling east on State Route 82. The car was stopped in traffic at a light while the driver waited to turn left. According to Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, the Focus finished making its left turn right as the traffic light turned red.
Simultaneously, a westbound Chevrolet pickup truck failed to stop for a red light. Per reports, it struck the Focus on the car’s right side. The 21-year-old driver of the pickup, along with the other two occupants of the vehicle, were transported to St. Elizabeth’s Health Center in Youngstown for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The 24-year-old driver, also taken to the hospital, was not as lucky, suffering serious injuries as a result of the accident.
The driver of the pickup was cited for failure to obey a red traffic light. The driver of the Focus has every right to contact a personal injury attorney and explore his options in filing a civil lawsuit against the other driver. A successfully presented suit could mean the award of monetary compensation that could be used to help with medical bills and pain and suffering from the crash. In addition, the injured passengers in the pickup would also have the right to discuss their situation with a lawyer and sue for compensation. Any residents of Ohio who have been injured in car accidents due to the negligence of another might benefit from contacting a personal injury lawyer with experience in similar cases.
Source: wfmj.com, “Driver cited in Howland crash that injured four“, Dec. 30, 2016