Three Injured in South Lake Tahoe Head-On Crash
Seven people were involved in a head-on collision in South Lake Tahoe that sent three to a hospital on Thursday, July 13.
What Happened?
Witnesses reported to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that one of the drivers of the two vehicles involved accidentally fell asleep at the wheel around 4:00 p.m. while driving along Black Bart Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. As the driver nodded off, his vehicle drifted across the yellow line and into the lane with oncoming traffic. Officer Ruth Loehr stated that the oncoming vehicle had no time to evade the drifting car, and they hit each other head-on. Another witness at the scene claims that the other driver was speeding at the time of the accident and was transporting people as an Uber driver.
Both drivers of each vehicle were taken to a hospital along with one of the 5 passengers involved. The section of road where the accident occurred was closed down by CHP officials and officers from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department. Both agencies continue to investigate the accident and find out all the details.
Driving with Multiple Passengers
Many states have laws about the number of passengers teens who have recently received licenses can have in their car while driving. California requires new teen drivers to have a parent or other licensed driver 25 years or older in the vehicle when transporting passengers younger than 20. The reason for these restrictions is because of the increased risk of accidents and fatalities when teens drive with other teens. The website teendriversource.org shows some alarming statistics about peer passengers.
- The risk of a fatal crash is tripled when there are two or more peer passengers, and a teen is driving.
- A simulator-based study showed that teens will engage in more unsafe driving practices when they know friends are observing them.
- Male drivers tend to “show off” and are six times more likely to when peer passengers are present, engage in illegal and risky driving maneuvers.
The information about the accident above does not reveal the drivers’ ages, but passengers who distract the driver or “egg them on” are a risk regardless of age. Drivers must be aware of the risks and focus on the road ahead to keep themselves and their passengers safe and free from harm.
South Lake Tahoe Auto Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a South Lake Tahoe Car Accident Lawyer. If you have been in a car accident or even a family member, please call me at (530) 392-9400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.
I have been helping members of the Tahoe community and surrounding areas with their personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1982. I have helped many families receive the compensation they need and deserve to cover medical bills and their pain and suffering.
Please feel free to browse my client reviews before calling. These can be found at the following websites:
You can also find me as a member of the forum for the Million Dollar Advocates. This group lists the top trial lawyers nationwide who have won verdicts and negotiated settlements of a million dollars or more.
My website, autoaccident.com, is one of the most educational sites for legal advice about car accidents, wrongful deaths, and personal injury cases in Northern California.
Sources:
Image Source: pixabay.com
https://southtahoenow.com/story/07/14/2017/head-collision-after-driver-falls-asleep-south-lake-tahoe
http://www.teendriversource.org/stats/support_teens/detail/63
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