Approximately 1 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States that occur every year are the result of people driving in the wrong direction. It may be difficult to believe that such a bizarre circumstance could happen when roads and highways are clearly marked with signs advising drivers of the right direction to take. Nevertheless, between 2005 and 2015, there were 75 deaths that resulted from wrong-way crashes in Nevada, of which a total of 409 occurred during the 10-year period.
An incident last week near Boulder City is a somber reminder that wrong-way crashes can and do still happen today. A woman transporting her belongings in a rented U-Haul truck died after allegedly colliding head-on with a UPS vehicle while traveling northbound in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 93 early on Tuesday morning.
Witnesses to the accident report the woman driving erratically and describe a massive 25- to 30-foot-high fireball ignited by the collision. A large spill of diesel fuel also occurred due to the crash, and law enforcement closed both northbound and southbound lanes of the highway for nearly 12 hours thereafter.
Authorities have not yet released information as to the identity of the woman who died pending notification of her family. However, despite requiring hospitalization for injuries sustained in the crash, the prognosis for the UPS truck driver’s survival is good.
The catastrophic injuries and deaths that can result from motor vehicle accidents can be difficult for both victims and family members to bear. However, some may find that they are able to receive closure by hiring an attorney to resolve issues pertaining to wrongful death and/or personal injury.