Arcata Rollover Accident
I’m Ed Smith, an Arcata car accident lawyer. In Arcata, on Sunday, September 17, 2017, a single-vehicle accident resulted in an overturned car that left at least one individual with traumatic injuries.
Accident Info
The collision reportedly occurred just before 9:15 a.m. on the southbound side of Highway 101 close to the Sunset Avenue junction near the Arcata Skate Park and Woodridge Apartments. Reports from California Highway Patrol (CHP) indicate that, for unknown reasons, the driver of a white pickup truck with a camper shell lost control of their vehicle.
After losing control, the vehicle overturned and eventually came to a stop on its roof, situated in the right-hand shoulder of the highway. No other vehicles appear to have been involved in the accident.
Emergency Response
Responders from CHP found one occupant of the vehicle trapped inside the wreckage and called personnel from the Humboldt Bay Fire Authority to extricate the trapped individual. Reports indicate that the individual was freed from the wreckage by 9:29 a.m.
After being extricated from the wrecked vehicle, the individual received treatment from medical ambulances for traumatic injuries. Whether or not the individual was taken to a hospital was not reported. Additionally, there have been no reports indicating whether or not more than one person was in the vehicle at the time of the collision.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are extremely dangerous and result in more fatalities than most other types of vehicle collisions. Out of an average of over 9 million annual U.S. accidents, safercar.gov reports that only around 2 percent of them involve vehicle rollovers. However, in accidents that result in fatal injuries, vehicle rollovers occur about 35 percent of the time.
An important safety consideration in light of the statistics involving rollover accident is the use of seat belts. The majority of people who receive fatal trauma in rollover accidents are found to have not been properly restrained by a seat belt at the time of the collision.
Seat belts save lives. Buckle up every time.
Distracted Driving
While officials have not reported on what they believe to have caused this accident, distracted driving may have been at play. This issue is causing an increasing number of vehicle collisions in the U.S. and is responsible for more than 3,000 fatal vehicle accidents every year.
Distracted driving is defined by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) as any activity that causes drivers to divert their attention from the road. These activities can include actions like talking to people in the backseat, fiddling with a stereo, eating, drinking, and, most importantly, using mobile devices.
Texting and Driving
Texting while driving is an alarming problem and presents a serious danger on the road. Experts have determined that an average text message takes around five seconds to send or read. If a vehicle is traveling at the moderate speed of 55 miles per hour, that means a single text message diverts a driver’s attention for the length of a whole football field.
More blogs by Ed Smith, Arcata car accident lawyer.
Arcata Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, an Arcata car accident lawyer. Traffic accidents often leave people with serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident, please call my phone line (707) 564-1900 for compassionate, friendly, and free advice. I can also be reached toll-free at (800) 404-5400, and online at AutoAccident.com.
I have been serving the Arcata and Northern California community with helping injured people recover what they are rightfully owed in cases of wrongful death and personal injury for 35 years.
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I’m one of a select group of injury lawyers that have obtained a verdict or settlement for over one million-dollars, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
See my Past Settlements and Verdicts here.
I founded AutoAccident.com, Northern California’s leading resource for daily articles and accurate information about personal injuries and vehicle accidents.