A deadly car accident in Westport, Massachusetts last week proved the seriousness of text messaging while driving. The sole car crash victim was a 21-year-old male who lost control of his Buick Regal and perished less than a mile from his home after driving into a tree.

Police said the damage to the vehicle was catastrophic and that it’s unlikely that anyone could have survived the impact. Skid marks at the scene of the traffic accident show that the Buick was moving at speeds of at least 80 mph in a 30 mph zone. While speed was certainly a factor in the severity of the incident, investigators discovered that the driver had sent a text message just one minute before the auto crash was reported, so they suspect that driver distraction may have played an even bigger role.

No one else was in the car at the time of the accident.

Source: OUR VIEW: Tragedy shows that text messages can wait, Taunton Daily Gazette, March 29, 2010 Continue reading

Last Wednesday night, a motorcycle accident claimed the life of a 16-year-old student from Sandwich High School. The teen was reportedly being pursued by police when he turned left onto a dirt road, and an officer found him lying unconscious under a steel gate.

According to reports, the injured cyclist was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, where the succumbed to his injuries from the motorcycle crash, which occurred around 9pm on Route 130 in Sandwich.

The motorcycle crash is still being investigated by Massachusetts Environmental Police, the Cape Cod Accident Reconstruction Team, and the Sandwich Police.

Sources: Teen killed in Cape motorcycle accident, Boston Globe, March 25, 2010
Sandwich youth dies in motorcycle crash, WickedLocal.com, March 25, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this month, the owner of a 2010 Toyota Rav-4 crashed the car into a plastic surgery clinic in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The 70-year-old driver said the vehicle accelerated on its own, and now, in light of the recent Toyota recall, federal investigators are looking into the car crash.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to spend two days examining the vehicle to see if her story holds weight. Police said they were using sophisticated computers to inspect the car, but they requested an independent investigation to see what might have gone wrong.

Investigators say that eyewitnesses confirm the driver’s story. She was treated for minor injuries. No other injuries were reported in connection with the auto accident.

Source: Feds investigate Mass. woman’s claim that Toyota wouldn’t stop, NECN.com, March 23, 2010 Continue reading

Last week, a car accident in Stratham, Massachusetts seriously injured a 12-year-old middle school student, leaving her in critical condition. According to East Kingston Police, the incident occurred outside the teen’s home around 3:55pm. The girl was riding out of her driveway on a RipStick, a modified skateboard, when she was struck by a Toyota Camry, suffering serious head injuries.

The injured teen was transported to Exeter Hospital, then flown by helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. As of this morning, a hospital spokesperson said the girl was still in critical condition.

No charges have been filed in connection with this traffic accident, and police say they are still investigating.

Source: Skateboarder in critical condition after being struck by car, SeaCoastOnline.com, March 24, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this week, two separate highway accidents in eastern Massachusetts killed pedestrians, report state police. The first pedestrian accident occurred around 7:30pm Tuesday evening when a 46-year-old Salisbury man stepped into the right lane on Route 95 South in Newbury. He was hit by a car and fatally injured.

On Wednesday, the second pedestrian fatality occurred on Woburn Street in Wilmington when an unidentified man was hit by a commercial vehicle. Police believe the man may have jumped from an overpass before the vehicle hit him.

Authorities are still investigating the fatal accidents.

Source: Two killed in pedestrian accidents on highways, Boston Globe, March 17, 2010 Continue reading

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts found that a driver is 20 times more likely to be involved in a car crash while texting than at any other time. The study also discovered that young drivers under the age of 25 are more likely to text behind the wheel than more experienced ones. In fact, nearly half of teen drivers admitted to text messaging while driver in a 2007 survey.

Scientists at UMass used a driving simulator to examine the reactions of motorists and their eye movement. They asked volunteers of various ages to perform tasks such as checking a map or turning on the heat while driving the simulator.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 500,000 people were injured in auto accidents that involved driver distraction in 2008. Another 5,870 died in car accidents involving a distracted driver. “Distracted driving” may include talking on a cell phone, eating, drinking, texting, and talking with passengers, but texting is among the most hazardous activities.

Source: Dashboard deathwish: UMass simulator details risks of texting at the wheel, GazetteNet.com, March 18, 2010 Continue reading

Here in Massachusetts, severe weather conditions over the last several days have made driving unusually treacherous, creating at least one car accident in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire. The storm also delayed flights out of airports in New York and Boston and knocked out roads in several parts of the state. The MBTA reports that parts of the D line were taken out of service yesterday due to flooding.

However, WCSH6.com reports that Southern Maine has been hit hardest of all. Roughly 50 roads in York country were closed. Route 202 in Lebanon was covered in water, and Route 1 in York was closed to a single lane yesterday. Hundreds of residents also lost power.

Authorities urged drivers in Massachusetts and throughout New England to use caution on wet, slippery roads.

Source: Storm causing travel problems, WCSH6.com, March 15, 2010 Continue reading

On Saturday, a two-vehicle rollover on Route 25 injured seven people, including five children. Massachusetts police say two of the children were seriously injured. The traffic accident occurred around 11:15 on Saturday morning when a 1999 Toyota Avalon reportedly made contact with a 1999 GMC Suburban, causing both vehicles to roll over.

According to reports, the GMC ended up in the median on the driver’s side, and the Toyota landed on its roof in the breakdown lane. All seven people were initially taken to Tobey Hospital, say police. Two of the children, age 9 and 11, were seriously injured and were later taken to Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Massachusetts troopers are still investigating the cause of this car crash.

Source: Double rollover on Route 25 sends seven to hospital, GateHouse News Service, March 14, 2010 Continue reading

The driver of a Toyota Rav-4 who crashed her vehicle into a Yarmouth, Massachusetts doctor’s office on Tuesday says the accident was not her fault. Her vehicle had supposedly been repaired as part of the Toyota recall, but several drivers have reportedly accelerator problems even after their vehicles were fixed.

The 70-year-old driver, who apparently has a flawless driving record, told her son she put her foot on the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated into the building. Then she reportedly looked down after the car accident and her foot was still on the brake. She suffered minor injuries and back pain, but no one inside the doctor’s office was injured.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the motor vehicle accident.

Source: Blaming Toyota for doctor’s office crash, NECN.com, March 10, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this week, a 92-year-old woman from Milford, Massachusetts was injured in a car accident and later succumbed to those injuries. After being flown by medical helicopter to the hospital, she died late Monday at UMass Memorial Medical Center.

The woman’s 82-year-old sister was found to be at fault for the four-car accident, and police say they are considering holding her criminally responsible for the death. Ultimately, that determination will be made by the district attorney, they say.

The younger sister was driving a 1998 Dodge Stratus that set off the chain-reaction crash. She was not seriously injured and has already been cited for following too closely.

Source: 92-year-old passenger in Milford crash dies from injuries, Milford Daily News, March 10, 2010 Continue reading

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