Collision Kills Eureka Man
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka car accident lawyer. On Tuesday, June 27, a Eureka man lost his life in a head-on motor vehicle accident near McKinleyville. More information about the incident can be found below.
Accident Details
According to information included in a press release from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the collision occurred at about 10:25 p.m. Reportedly, a 62-year-old man from Eureka was driving a Toyota 4Runner on the wrong side of Highway 101. CHP indicated that the man had been driving his vehicle southward in the northbound lane of the highway a short distance south of McKinleyville’s Murray Road.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old male resident of Arcata had been driving a 2015 Dodge 5500 pickup with an attached trailer in the northbound lane of Highway 101 toward Murray Road. The two vehicles reportedly collided head-on in the northbound lane.
Injuries and Response
When emergency first responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they discovered that the Eureka man had sustained fatal injuries. The man was pronounced dead on-scene and his name is being withheld pending the notification of his next of kin.
The driver of the Dodge pickup was reported to have only received minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital. Additionally, no other people or vehicles were involved in this accident.
Possible Causes
CHP has reported that they are not sure why the collision happened or why the Eureka man had been driving his vehicle in the oncoming lane. They have reported that drugs and alcohol are being investigated as factors in the accident.
Rural Head-On Collisions
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Head-on collisions are more prevalent in more rural areas such as the location of this accident. NHTSA reports that head-on collisions make up 13 percent of all fatal rural crashes, while head-on collisions account for less than 7 percent of fatal urban crashes.
Head-On Collision Injuries
Those involved in head-on collisions are liable to suffer from a range of injuries. These injuries include spinal cord and brain injuries, heart contusions, lung injuries, and other varieties of chest trauma.
Additionally, head-on collisions are especially likely to be fatal. Even though head-on collisions make up only about 2 percent of all collisions in the US, they account for about 10 percent of fatality collisions. This means that the fatality rate of head-on collisions is around 5 times higher than the incidence rate.
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Eureka Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka car accident lawyer. If a motor vehicle collision has harmed you or someone you care about, call my office at (707) 564-1900 for free, friendly advice. Or, call toll free: (800) 404-5400.
Since the year 1982, my team and I have assisted individuals and families residing in Eureka and nearby places with obtaining the compensation they are owed in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, or both.
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