An accident in Illinois claimed the lives of two young people and left another one injured. The wreck likely was caused in part due to poor weather and slick road conditions — an all-too-familiar sight for residents in Illinois, the Midwest and the Northeast this winter (and, really, any winter).
One of the vehicles involved in the auto accident was traveling south when it suddenly lost control. It swerved into the oncoming lanes of traffic and collided with a northbound vehicle. Two people in the vehicle that lost control — a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman — died in the wreck, and a third person in the vehicle was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The two people in the struck vehicle (heading north) miraculously escaped injury.
Though this seems to be a true accident, there are many other wrecks that happen in the winter that happen in part because of driver negligence. Yes, the slick roads don’t help — but knowing that, drivers are supposed to take a more cautious approach to the road. Everyone is supposed to reduce their speed in snowy or icy conditions and be especially careful when approaching intersections or making turns.
If it can be proven that a driver failed to observe safe driving tactics in bad weather, they could be held liable in civil court for their negligence. The main point of this post, though, is to emphasize a cautious approach to the road this winter. It’s easy to get frustrated with slow drivers on the highway in December, January and February — but remember, they are just being careful and doing their part to try and prevent a motor vehicle accident.
Source: Southtown Star, “Two dead, one hurt in crash on slippery roads near Manhattan,” Jan. 18, 2014