A six-vehicle crash ended with the driver of the wrong-way vehicle trapped inside his vehicle needing to be rescued. According to police at the scene, the driver of a Kia Sorento was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Bethlehem Pike and it struck at least four vehicles.
A sixth vehicle was involved in the crash but it’s uncertain how. The collision happened around 8:45 a.m., Tuesday, March 12, 2019, during busy morning traffic. It’s unknown why the driver of the Kia was traveling the wrong direction, and policy say that the crash is still under investigation. They are asking anyone with information on the incident to call them at (215) 855-0903.
Head-On Collisions
Occupants of a car in a head-on collision are at the highest risk of fatality topping all other crash types including rollover crashes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that head-on collisions make up 2% of total accidents per year, but account for over 10% of all traffic fatalities.
Most head-on collisions (85%) happen on non-divided highways when one car crosses the centerline striking another car head-on. These accidents are violent because both cars are usually going over 50 mph, and many times, the cars then rollover or leave the roadway and cause more damage.
The other type of head-on collision is called a wrong-way driving accident (WWD) and occurs when a car enters a divided highway or freeway and drives the wrong direction. These are just as deadly as centerline drift collisions, and they make up about 15% of all head-on accidents.
Wrong-Way Driving Injuries
When a car is going the wrong way on a multi-lane, divided highway or freeway, the collision that occurs is often horrific doing great damage to the vehicles and other property, and unfortunately, severe injuries to the occupants of the cars.
The severity of the injuries occurs because of the dynamics of a head-on collision. When two cars collide head on, both vehicles stop in an instant with the force that is often double that of a typical car accident. Both cars’ occupants are thrown around in their car with some cars being thrown off the road or on being flipped on their hood. This in turn causes the occupants to be impacted several more times causing severe injuries. There are certain common injuries in WWD crashes:
- Blunt Force Trauma: The vast majority of fatalities come from the impact of the person into whatever is in front of them.
- Traumatic Brain Injury: Not always fatal and happens with the impact of the body at the time of collision.
- Thoracic Spine Injury: (Whiplash) This injury is not necessarily fatal, but it often results in paralysis. It comes from the body being thrown forward where the spine in the neck is stretched and then violently compressed when thrown back into the seat.
- Broken Bones: Skull fractures, facial bones, ribs and extremities such as wrists, ankles legs.
What Should I do if I’m Injured in a Head-on Collision?
If you are injured in a head-on collision, the first thing to do is to concentrate on your immediate medical treatment and do what’s necessary to begin the healing process. However, the financial losses will begin to loom as you miss work and more medical bills and car repair bills come due.
At this point, the best thing to do is talk to an attorney who knows the law and is experienced in dealing with insurance companies. Talk to someone who has your best interest at heart. Talk to the attorneys at Pearce Law Firm, P.C. at (215) 557-6868 or text at 215 880 6164. You can also contact us online by clicking here.
