SUV accident

April 19, 2011

Vehicle Accelerates and Crashes Into Five Cars at Logan International Airport Terminal C

An accident involving at least six cars at the Boston Logan International Airport is under investigation. On Monday morning at approximately 6:35 a.m., the multiple vehicle crash happened at the Terminal C drop-off departure level outside of the Jet Blue check-in area. State police report that a 63-year-old North Reading woman caused the accident by accelerating instead of braking. After hitting five cars in a row, her 2007 Ford Explorer finally came to a halt in a baggage checking area on the curb. Logan Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella confirmed that the vehicle came to a stop at the AirTran area of the terminal.

Police report that the woman driving the SUV has been identified as Carol Guthrie. In a preliminary investigation, State Police found that she mistook her gas pedal for her brake pedal. She has nonetheless been issued a summons and has been cited for negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Boston Emergency Medical Services reported that three people, including Guthrie, were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with minor injuries. This accident continues to be under investigation.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact one of our experienced Boston car accident lawyers for a free consultation.

Sources:

North Reading woman cited by State Police for crash at Logan Airport, boston.com, April 18, 2011
Minor injuries in Boston airport car crash, Boston Globe, April 18, 2011 Continue reading

April 8, 2011

Off-Duty Boston Police Officer Collides With Boston Fire Truck

by Altman & Altman

In Mattapan, Massachusetts, an SUV carrying an off-duty Boston police officer crashed into a Boston fire truck that was on its way to respond to a car accident. The fire truck, Engine 29, reportedly had sirens and lights on but according to witnesses, it went straight through a red light without slowing down. After colliding with the SUV, it crashed into a light pole. The accident occurred on Harvard Street at a very busy intersection.

The police officer who was in the SUV has sustained a serious leg injury from the accident. He was scheduled for a leg operation on Wednesday. The victim’s sister, Allyson Vinson Bowore, said that her brother, Darrell Vinson, has been with the Boston Police Department for twenty years. She said he was off-duty and headed to work when “The light turned green and he went and that’s when he got hit by the fire truck.”

The accident is under investigation by State police and no charges have been filed yet. Investigators are hoping that the traffic camera has captured this accident. Massachusetts state law requires that all emergency vehicles must stop at intersections for a red light even with their sirens and lights on. Officials have confirmed that the driver of Engine 29 has had drug and alcohol tests in the aftermath of the accident.

If you have been involved in an accident, contact on of our experienced Boston car accident attorneys for a free consultation.

Source:

SUV hits Boston fire truck in Mattapan, 7-News / whdh.com, April 6, 2011 Continue reading

March 24, 2011

SUV Rollover Accident in Sandisfield

by Altman & Altman

In Sandisfield, Southern Berkshire County, a woman driving an SUV has been severely injured after her vehicle flipped over in a single-car accident. Massachusetts State Police have reported that Jazmine Solero, 33, of New York, was driving four passengers on Route 8 in an Isuzu Rodeo. Because of ice and snow, Solero lost control and veered off of the road into an embankment. Her vehicle then crashed into a telephone pole and flipped over. Solero was trapped inside until the emergency crew pulled her from the wreck. All four passengers, two in their twenties and two teenagers, are reported to have potentially serious injuries but the extent of which is unknown. Police have confirmed that Solero was not speeding when the accident occurred.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates the Isuzu Rodeo with an average of three out five stars for rollover safety on models made between 1990 and 2010. They also explain that rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes and are most likely to happen on rural roads as almost 75% of all rollover accidents occur on rural roads. As a precaution for drivers, the NHTSA provides these safety tips on how to prevent a rollover accident:

• Use extra caution on rural roads and highways, especially on undivided two-way roads. Soft shoulders or embankments can increase chances of flipping.
• Avoid panicked or quick steering; quickly overcorrecting steering at high speeds can result in loss of control and rolling over.
• Maintain tires with the correct amount of air. This will help the driver to control the vehicle and prevent a vehicle from sliding on wet or icy pavement.
• Know your vehicle’s weight limit. Find your car’s suggested weight limit in your car’s owner manual to ensure that the vehicle load does not exceed the suggested safe load.

If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced Massachusetts Car Accident Lawyers for advice and a free consultation.

Sources:

Five injured in Sandisfield SUV crash, 22News, wwlp.com, March 22, 2011
5-Star Safety Ratings, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Continue reading

February 14, 2011

Northborough Woman Dies in I-95 Accident

by Altman & Altman

Claudette J. Kumor, 57, of Northborough was ejected from her car after being rear-ended on I-95 in Attleboro early on Saturday morning. Kumor lost control of her 2004 Ford Explorer when hit from behind by Samantha Lee Fletcher, 19, of Danvers, in the slow lane of traffic. The SUV is reported to have flipped over many times and Kumor was ejected from the vehicle. Authorities have confirmed that Kumor was not wearing a seatbelt and was confirmed dead when the emergency crew arrived. Her passenger, Carolyn P. Bibbo, 34, of Woonsocket, R.I., was trapped inside the wreckage and then taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I., for serious injuries. Fletcher was not injured in the accident.

The accident is under investigation and police are considering Fletcher’s speed as the cause of the accident. No charges have been made.

Our attorneys have been representing personal injury and accident victims for over 40 years. Feel free to contact us to speak to one of our experienced attorneys for a free consultation.

Sources:

Northborough woman killed in crash on I-95 in Attleborough this morning, The Boston Globe, February 12, 2011
Northborough woman killed in crash on I-95 in Attleboro, The Milford Daily News, February 12, 2011 Continue reading

December 17, 2010

33-year-old Killed in SUV Rollover on Route 128

by Altman & Altman

Matthew M. Cox, a 33-year-old from Westwood, was killed in an SUV rollover on Route 128 Wednesday. The rollover occurred around 4 p.m. when his Ford Explorer, which was travelling in the left lane, veered to the right and hit a guardrail. Cox was ejected from the SUV and declared dead at Needham’s Beth Israel Deaconess-Glover Hospital. He hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, according to police.

Boston Globe, One killed in rollover on Route 128 in Needham

This is one of many rollovers that have happened in recent weeks. Notably, Ford Explorers have been the subject of design-defect controversy in the past, given the frequency of Explorer rollovers, but NHTSA reported that Explorers are no more likely than other SUVs to roll over.

When a rollover happens after hitting a guardrail, as here, it is called a “tripped rollover.” Of all rollovers, 95% are tripped rollovers.

This story raises the issue of driver/occupant ejection. When persons are ejected from vehicles in accidents, they are three times more likely to die than persons who are not ejected. They are also far more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Here, Cox was not wearing a seatbelt. Sometimes, though, even those who wear seatbelts are ejected from their cars and trucks because of seatbelt defects. Defective door latches can also cause occupant ejection.
Continue reading

December 3, 2010

SUV Kills Woman When It Crashes Into Chicopee Store

by Altman & Altman

A Massachusetts woman was killed and two other people were injured on Sunday afternoon when a Sport Utility Vehicle slammed into a Cumberland Farms store. The 43-year-old SUV accident victim was reportedly a customer in the store. Another customer and a worker were taken to Springfield’s Baystate Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.

The SUV was reportedly driven by an 81-year-old man, who was hospitalized with serious injuries. No charges have been filed thusfar, but the fatal crash is still being investigated.

Here in Massachusetts, legislators have been pushing for stricter standards on drivers over the age of 75, citing the number of recent accidents involving older drivers. However, advocates for older adults have called the proposed legislation arbitrarily discriminatory.

Source: Woman dies when SUV smashes into Chicopee store, Boston Globe, November 29, 2010 Continue reading

October 18, 2010

Passerby Save Massachusetts Woman After Car Accident

by Altman & Altman

A Dartmouth, Mass. woman was involved in an SUV crash last Friday. The 49-year-old woman’s vehicle went off the road and into a nearby creek. Other drivers who witnessed the car accident rushed her to aid, keeping her head above water until emergency crews arrived to free her from the vehicle. She was conscious when emergency rescuers arrived and transported her to a local hospital.

Eyewitnesses believe the woman may have had a seizure or other medical event that caused her to veer off the highway. No one was else was in the SUV at the time of the crash.

The state’s Good Samaritan laws protect those who perform good faith attempts to render emergency care, including CPR and defibrillation, except in cases of gross negligence of willful or wanton misconduct.

Massachusetts law also requires those who have suffered a seizure or other loss of consciousness to voluntarily surrender their driver’s license until they have remained free of episodes for a minimum of six months.

Source: Olmsted Township: Massachusetts woman saved by passersby after crash, WKYC.com, October 15, 2010 Continue reading