Wrong-way head-on collisions routinely cause serious injuries or death to drivers and passengers. A recent three-vehicle collision near Homer Glen demonstrated just how destructive such accidents can be.
The accident
Officers in the Will County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of a multi-vehicle collision at about 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of 143rd Street and Kings Road in the small town of Homer Glen. The preliminary report of the deputies indicated that a Nissan SUV was traveling westbound when he inexplicably crossed the center line and drove into oncoming traffic. The Nissan first struck a Lincoln SUV, but this collision was not serious.
The driver of the Lincoln refused medical treatment at the scene. After hitting the Lincoln, the Nissan SUV struck a Hyundai head-on. The collision caused a fire to begin in the engine compartment of the Hyundai. The flames soon engulfed the Hyundai, causing the driver to suffer serious and extensive injuries. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
The Hyundai was carrying two passengers, one in the front and one in the rear seat. The front-seat passenger was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The rear-seat passenger died at the scene. The driver of the Nissan was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was given notice of several pending traffic violations arising out of the accident, including improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and transportation of an open container of alcohol.
The front-seat passenger in the Nissan suffered extensive injuries and was listed in critical condition. The rear-seat passenger was taken to an area hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition with multiple non-life-threatening injuries. According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the Nissan has more than 30 significant driving violations dating from 2001.
Consequences
The driver of the Nissan appears to have been the primary cause of this horrific accident. In addition to the criminal charges noted above, the driver was said by many witnesses to have been speeding just before the initial collision occurred. The families of the two passengers in the Hyundai who were killed appear to have strong wrongful death claims against the driver of the Nissan, and the persons who were hospitalized with non-fatal injuries also appear to have strong claims against the driver of the Nissan.
Conclusion
Sorting out the various claims for wrongful death and damages for the various injuries can be a complex task. Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one under similar circumstances may want to consult an experienced auto accident attorney for an evaluation of the evidence and an opinion on the likelihood of recovering adequate damages.