Articles Posted in Car Accidents

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Two families’ lives were changed forever on Sunday morning when a tragic head-on crash on the Mass Pike claimed the life of one man and left another without an eye. As of earlier today, it was not known whether Rene Bronfield, a 49-year-old Worcester man, would survive his Boston car accident injuries. His childhood friend, whose name police has yet to release, died after he was pinned under the dashboard, which collapsed over him.

According to police, the alleged drunk driver, 33-year-old Philip Daniels, entered Interstate 90 from the wrong way in his 1995 Jeep Cherokee. He is accused of crashing head on into Bronfield’s MG near the Prudential Center tunnel. The fatal Boston motor vehicle crash occurred just before 2am.

Authorities say that Daniels, a financier for John Hancock Financial Services, had a BAC of .23, which is significantly higher than the .08 legal driving limit. The Norwood man reportedly told Massachusetts police that he was drinking beer at Lucky’s Lounge prior to the Boston auto crash.

At his arraignment, the Norwood man pleaded not guilty to motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol.

Drunken Driving Accidents
Drunk driving not only causes serious injuries and deaths, but this dangerous behavior destroys families. In addition to the victims involved in a drunk driving crash, there are the victims’ family members who must now cope with the emotional trauma brought about by losing someone they love prematurely and in such a senseless manner. Drunk driving victims and the people they love will likely spend years grappling with the consequences brought about by someone else’s negligent behavior.

You can hold a drunk driver liable for causing your serious injuries or your loved one’s death.

Financier charged in fatal Pike crash, Boston Herald, December 29, 2009
Surviving victim of wrong-way crash still critical, Telegram, December 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Fatalities and Fatality Rates in Alcohol- Impaired-Driving Crashes by State, 2007-2008, NHTSA (PDF)
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Michael L. VonBehren was just 18-years-old when a Lowell drunk driver fatally struck him on Interstate 290 in December 2008. Now, his parents Dale and Kathleen VonBehren, are suing JBC of Worcester for the Shrewsbury teenager’s Massachusetts wrongful death.

Somang Ath, the 26-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck the car that their son was riding, was also killed in the tragic Massachusetts car accident. Prior to driving the wrong way and crashing head-on into the vehicle that VonBehren was in, Ath drank alcohol with friends at Jillian’s, a Worcester bar.

According to Massachusetts police, Ath’s BAC was .28%. The License Commission suspended the bar’s license for a week after determining that there was evidence that Jillian’s over-served him. JBC of Worcester, which was bought by Revolution Entertainment of Whitinsville this May, was the owner of the bar at the time that the deadly Shrewsbury traffic accident happened. 10 days after the tragic Shrewsbury car crash that killed Ath and VonBehren, Jillian’s allegedly over-served another man who had a BAC of .30.

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The Boston Globe is reporting that the medical condition of Bethany Pfalzgraf, the Boston College senior who was seriously injured in a Massachusetts pedestrian accident on campus early Sunday and has improved. The 21-year-old woman was allegedly struck by Benjamin Knott, an 18-year-old driver, who is aaccused of fleeing the crash site and driving drunk.

Knott is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, drunken driving, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and causing bodily injury. He failed two Breathalyzer tests. His BAC was .20 and .18. In Massachusetts, the legal driving limit for motorists under age 21 is .02. For adults, the legal BAC while driving is 0.08. Prior to the Boston pedestrian accident, Knott had been visiting friends on campus.

At his arraignment in Brighton District Court, the teen driver pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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A 2009 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation reports that in the last year, up to 1.9 million US motorists have either been in a motor vehicle accident or were nearly in an auto collision because they were drowsy while driving. 105 million motorists admitted that they’ve driven while sleepy in the last year, while 54 million drivers say they drowsy drive at least once a month.

What many of these drivers don’t understand is that drowsy driving is extremely dangerous. It one of the most common causes of traffic crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board says that 250,000 US drivers a day fall asleep while operating a vehicle. This causes 60,000 serious injuries and 8,000 deaths a year.

Boston car crashes, truck accidents, bus collisions, and pedestrian accidents are not the only kinds of traffic collisions caused by drowsy driving. The NTSB recently announced that drowsy driving was the likely cause of the deadly MBTA train crash in Newton last year involving two green line trains. The safety board says train operator Terese Edmonds may have fallen asleep at the wheel. She may have been suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Excessive sleepiness can impair a motorist, resulting in slower reaction times, distracted driving, decreased cognitive performance, various mood swings, and slowed reflexes. These side effects can prove tragic on the road, where a motorist may have a hard time driving in a straight line, fail to notice exit signs, miss traffic signs, and not realize that he or she is tailgating the vehicle ahead.

While it is tragic that so many people are injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by drowsy drivers, the good news is that drowsy driving accidents are preventable.

The National Sleep Foundation has declared November 2-8 Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The intention is to make more motorists aware about the dangers associated with drowsy driving and falling asleep at the wheel.

1.9 Million Drivers Have Fatigue-Related Car Crashes or Near Misses Each Year, Reuters, November 2, 2009
Drowsy-driving tragedies preventable, Boston.com, August 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Sleep Foundation

Drowsy and Distracted Driving, NHTSA Continue reading

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Just when you thought ghosts and goblins were your worst worries on Halloween, now there is news that there may be other dangers lurking in the shadows on an evening that should be best known for candy, trick or treating, and costumes.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to be very careful when selecting a face paint for children to use. While a painted mask, as opposed to an actual mask, can make it easier for the wearer to see through, new findings indicate that some of the more popular face paints are made with toxins that are bad for the health and may even cause serious injuries.

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the 10 face paints it examined all tested positive for lead. Nickel, chromium, and cobalt were found in several of the paints.

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A teen driver has been charged with speeding and motor vehicle homicide over a fatal Boxford car crash that killed his friend last night. The single-auto collision claimed the life of 18-year-old Michael Doherty after the car they were riding struck a tree. The driver, 18-year-old Evan Wiendczak, survived the Massachusetts car accident with injuries.

The two teenagers were classmates at Masconomet Regional High School.

2008 Young Drivers (Ages 15 – 20) Facts (NHTSA):

• 58 people were killed in Massachusetts car crashes involving young drivers.
• 31 of the Massachusetts traffic crash victims were young drivers.
• 17 of the fatality victims were riding in the young drivers’ autos.
• 10 of the people that died were passengers in the other vehicles.
• Nationally, 5,864 young drivers were involved in deadly car accidents.
• 2,739 of these drivers died.
• 228,000 other young drivers were injured.

Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the number one cause of deaths for people ages 15 – 20. Driver inexperience, texting while driving, cell phone use while operating a car, drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving, defective auto parts, and poor road conditions are some of the leading causes of teen car accidents.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Massachusetts car accident because a driver behaved recklessly, carelessly, or negligently, you should consult with a Boston injury law firm about your case as soon as possible.

It is important that you do not speak with the other party’s insurer or attorney before speaking with a Boston car crash lawyer first.

Teen killed in crash, classmate charged, MyFoxBoston, October 26, 2009
High School Senior Killed In Crash, The Boston Channel, October 26, 2009
Young Drivers, 2008 Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Teen Drivers, Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
Teen Drivers, CDC Continue reading

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The mother of Makayla Hayes, 1, is suing the 93-year-old Peabody driver for the little girl’s injuries. Louis Vesprini accidentally drove his car into a Danvers Wal-Mart in June. Alaina Hayes, a Gloucester resident, was pushing her daughter in a stroller when the Massachusetts car accident happened. Makayla fractured her jaw and her skull.

Louis Vesprini reportedly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake when trying to park his car. He drove through two red posts before crashing through the Wal-Mart’s exit doors.

Now, Alaina his seeking unspecified damages from Walmart and the 93-year-old Massachusetts driver. While Wal-Mart obviously did not cause the Danvers car accident, the safety barriers it set up to keep cars from driving into the department store were allegedly spaced incorrectly.

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At the US Department of Transportation’s Distracted Driving Summit this week, family members who lost loved ones in car accidents involving drivers who were distracted spoke to attendees about their tragedies. One woman lost her mother of a driver who was talking on his cell phone. Another woman, a motorcyclist, was killed when she was struck at a red light by a driver who was painting her nails. And of course, there are the accounts of loved ones lost because drivers were texting while driving, reaching for a cell phone, or glancing at a PDA to “quickly” read a text message.

According to the NHTSA, almost 6,000 people died in distracted driving accidents last year. Over 500,000 others survived these auto accidents with injuries. As one man who lost his mother told the summit, “distracted drivers destroy lives.” Yet many drivers continue to engage in some form of distracted driving.

Talking on a cell phone and texting while driving have proven especially dangerous, and calls for a nationwide ban on texting has become more urgent. The CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that 110 billion texts were sent out in December 2008. Compare this figure to the 10 billion texts that were transmitted in December 2005.

On Wednesday, the Obama Administration announced that federal workers will no longer be allowed to text message while operating a motor vehicle while on the job or in a government-owned auto. According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the government is also considering restricting truck drivers, train operators, and bus drivers from using cell phones.

In Massachusetts, there is still no ban on text messaging. Localities are allowed to decide whether to restrict cell phone use. Earlier this year, the Boston area’s transit authority announced a new policy change banning bus, trolley, and train operators from carrying cell phones and personal electronic devices while they are on the clock. The crackdown came after a trolley operator who was text messaging caused aBoston train accident that injured 49 people.

Boston car drivers are allowed to talk on handheld devices and text message while driving an auto. This can result in serious Massachusetts traffic accidents and personal injuries and wrongful deaths may ensue.

Cell Phone Ban After Boston Trolley Crash, Huffington Post, May 9, 2009
New regulation bans federal employees from texting while driving, Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2009
Related Web Resources:

Distracted Driving, National Safety Council

The Dangers of Distracted Driving, www.carinsurance.org

State Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association

An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Database (PDF)
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Four people were injured on Monday in a Jamaica Plane car accident when a motorist ran a red light, striking a Boston Fire Department vehicle. The driver of the 1998 Audi, Victor Cowart, was trying to get to his fiancé’s home after finding out the kitchen had caught fire.

Cowart struck the 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, a District 9 Vehicle, at Atherton and Amory at around 4pm. According to the Boston Herald, the SUV, which was transporting the fire chief and his driver, was also headed to the fire site and its flashing red lights were activated at the time of the Massachusetts traffic crash.

Injured in the Jamaica Plain motor vehicle crash were Cowart, a 6-year-old girl who was riding in the car with him, fire chief Robert Dowling, and firefighter Russell Boone. All of them were taken to hospitals for injuries that fortunately do not appear to be life threatening.

Cowart received a traffic citation for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. His fiancé was reportedly following the Audi in another vehicle.

Motorists are supposed to yield the right of way to emergency vehicles. They are not supposed to run a red light, neglect to make a full stop at a stop sign, drive above the speed limit, or commit any other traffic violations. Traffic laws exist not just to keep order on the streets but also to prevent Boston motor vehicle accidents from happening.

Red Light Running
Running a red light is one of the most dangerous traffic violations that a driver can commit. Examples of the kinds of Boston car crashes that can occur during a red light running accident:

Side-swipe: One car strikes the driver’s side of another vehicle.

T-bone: The front of one vehicle collides with a side door of the other vehicle, potentially causing serious injury to the person seated on that side.

When a Boston car accident occurs because a driver ran a red light, the vehicles following behind the negligent motorist may have to step on their brakes abruptly, potentially causing at least one or more rear-end crashes-again, resulting in personal injury or wrongful death.

Man hits BFD SUV on way to Jamaica Plain fire, Boston Herald, September 8, 2009
Fire chief, 3 others injured in crash, Boston Globe, September 8, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Dangers of Running Red Lights

Red Light Running, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Continue reading

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We all know that driving drunk can result in catastrophic Boston car crashes. Unfortunately, many people still continue to get behind the steering wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much and they risk their lives and the lives of others in the process.

Drunk drivers come from all age demographics and walks of life. New findings, however, are showing that nationally, there has been an increase in the number of women involved in deadly drunk driving accidents. A new report also reveals that it isn’t just young drivers who are prone to binge drinking.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of female drunk drivers is becoming a national safety issue. From 1998 – 2007, there has been a 28.8% increase in the number of women arrested for DUI. Currently, impaired women drivers are involved in about 2,000 US traffic deaths each year. In this state, however, between 2008 and 2007 there was a decline in the number of impaired women involved in deadly Massachusetts motor vehicle accidents.

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