Author: Dave Abels

A woman was driving her SUV in Mesa yesterday morning when she was involved in a collision that claimed her life. Police report that the driver was traveling on westbound US 60 in the early morning hours when a pickup truck began approaching her vehicle. At this time, authorities believe that a male driving the pickup truck fell asleep behind the wheel, causing him to lose control of the truck and causing a collision with the SUV.

The SUV turned sideways after the impact and was still on the road when a third oncoming vehicle struck the side of the SUV in a t-bone collision. After all the vehicles came to a rest, emergency crews responded to the scene and provided medical assistance to the injured. The driver of the SUV died as a result of her injuries and it is not clear whether the driver of the truck or the driver of the third vehicle were hurt.

Automobile accidents continue to pose a significant threat to drivers in Arizona. While a car crash can be caused by any number of factors, in this case it appears that one driver was too tired to drive yet chose to do so anyway. Recent studies have shown that a tired or sleepy driver is just as likely to cause an accident as a drunk driver because tiredness prevents a driver from exercising sound judgment and caution while behind the wheel.

It is against Arizona state law to drive without paying proper attention to the road and without exercising due care for others. Driving while being so tired that you fall asleep falls into this category and is not only against the law but also against the public interest. No matter how safe of a driver you are, when you are on a public street, you are always at risk of an accident due to another driver’s negligence.
Continue reading “Fatal Mesa SUV Crash Leaves Woman Dead”

Tempe police are reporting a crash that occurred on Monday night near the intersection of Apache and Rural. At this early point in the investigation, it appears that the male driver of a passenger vehicle lost control of the car while attempting a turn, causing the car to strike a light pole and a palm tree. After impact, the car burst into flames large enough for at least one bystander to see.

Two people were in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Police have reported that the male driver died as a result of his injuries and that a passenger was seriously injured. Fortunately for a passenger, a bystander heard the collision and saw the fire, prompting that bystander to pull the passenger from the burning vehicle. Police believe that if the bystander had not intervened, it may have turned out much worse for the passenger.

While police have not definitively determined what caused the crash, at this time they believe that speed may have been a factor and they are trying to determine whether alcohol was involved. The current condition of the passenger is not known nor were the extent of the passenger’s injuries.

Automobile collisions are one of the largest causes of death across America. In fact, automobile collisions claim more lives than homicides yet the threat posed by auto crashes if often underplayed. Statistically, most people will never engage in anything more dangerous than driving an automobile during their lives. While behind the wheel, it is each driver’s responsibility to act with due care and caution towards the safety of those within their car and others on the road. Yet it only takes one careless driver to cause a multi-car collision that can lead to serious injuries or even death.

Technological advances have made cars and other passenger vehicles safer over the decades. New cars today have dozens if not hundreds of safety designed devices to protect occupants, from seat belts to anti-lock brakes to air bags. But even the most advanced car with the best safety devices can be involved in a fatal accident at any time.

Many people acknowledge that other drivers pose a threat to their safety while they are riding in a car but fewer people consider the driver of the car they are riding in as a threat. Regardless of whose car you are in, when you become a passenger in a vehicle, you assign the control of your personal safety over to the driver and you trust that the driver will act with care towards you. Most of the time, this is exactly what happens and a passenger is transported safely. On occasion, though, a driver is negligent and may cause an accident, injuring his or her passenger.
Continue reading “Firey Tempe Crash Kills Driver, Seriously Injures Passenger”

A new survey conducted by AAA shows that Americans are becoming less concerned about distracted driving techniques among other motorists on the road, even as the number of fatalities caused by such behavior is increasing annually.

The survey shows many Americans identifying certain behaviors, including texting and emailing while driving, as very dangerous or even unacceptable, yet many of those same Americans admit to engaging in identical activities within the last month. The overarching theme seems to be that drivers are able to recognize dangerous behavior but that drivers believe that they should be allowed to engage in those actions anyway. The current thought among the majority of those on the roads is that it is acceptable for them personally to be distracted but that other drivers should always avoid distractions.

Nationally, traffic deaths in 2012 increased by about 5.3 percent, the first increase in seven years. Despite this increase, the number of drivers that considered drunk driving to be a serious threat decreased 11 percent between 2009 and 2012. During the same three year period, the number of drivers that said driving after drinking was completely unacceptable decreased six percent, from 95 percent to 89 percent. With 89 percent of drivers surveyed responding so negatively to driving under the influence, it may surprise some that 14 percent of those same drivers admitted to getting behind the wheel within the previous month when their blood alcohol levels were likely at or above the legal limit.

Fewer drivers believed that running a red light was completely unacceptable when the driver had an opportunity, from 77 percent in 2009 down to 70 percent in 2012. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed admitted to running a red light within the last month. Surveyed drivers reported that speeding more than 15 miles an hour over a posted limit was more likely to be unacceptable in a residential area than on a highway, showing a difference in attitude depending on the type of road driven. One of the biggest decreases reported was in the dangers perceived by drowsy drivers. While 71 percent of those surveyed reported drowsy driving as a serious threat in 2009, only 46 percent thought the same in 2012.
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A fire truck was responding to a call when it was hit by an SUV in Phoenix, according to local police. The incident occurred early Friday morning in the area of 7th Street and Indian School Road and sent several people to area hospitals with accident-related injuries.

Police say that the fire truck had its lights and sirens activated as it traveled towards a fire in the area of 13th Street and Devonshire Avenue shortly before 4:00 a.m. The fire truck was traveling eastbound on Indian School and had a red light at 7th Street. With its lights and sirens activated, the fire truck had the right-of-way at the intersection even though it had a red light and it proceeded eastbound. An SUV approaching the intersection had a green light and entered the intersection at the same time as the fire truck, causing a collision between the two vehicles.

The impact of the collision caused the fire truck to roll over on its side, injuring four firefighters inside. At least one person inside the SUV was injured as well and all five victims received medical treatment at area hospitals. Police do not believe that anyone suffered life-threatening injuries in the accident and believe that all victims will recover.

Police are still investigating the incident and at this time, it is not clear whether any citations will be issued as a result of the crash. Automobile accidents involving emergency vehicles can be more complicated to review than other crashes because the traffic rules that apply to these drivers are different.

Generally, a driver with a green light has the right-of-way at an intersection which allows that driver to proceed down the road. A driver with a red light must yield to traffic with a green light. However, an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens activated has the right-of-way regardless of what color traffic light is facing the vehicle. All other vehicles are required to pull to the right of the road and allow emergency vehicles to pass so that those vehicles can respond to an emergency as efficiently as possible.
Continue reading “Fire Truck Struck by SUV in Phoenix”

A Glendale police officer was patrolling near a construction zone near 43rd Avenue and Grand Avenue on Wednesday morning when he heard a motorcycle approaching. The officer aimed his radar gun at the bike and was shocked to realize that the motorcyclist was traveling at 114 miles per hour, more than twice the legal limit in the area.

The officer pulled over the motorcyclist who is being described as a 21-year-old male after he caught up with the biker at Grand Avenue and 35th Street. The motorist reportedly did not know the legal speed limit in the area or how fast he had been traveling. According to the police officer, the biker did not seem to care that he had been traveling at more than twice the legal limit and did not seem surprised by the information.

The biker reportedly used a lane that is currently closed for construction to speed past cars that were waiting for a red light, enabling him to reach a high speed without traffic blocking his path. When questioned about his speed, the man informed the officer that he was late for work and therefore in a hurry.

The motorcyclist was arrested at the scene and charged with numerous misdemeanor traffic violations, though the specific charges are not clear at this time. Police have also stated that the man did not have a motorcycle endorsement on his driver’s license, a requirement to operate a motorcycle in the state of Arizona.

Fortunately this motorcyclist was stopped before he had a chance to cause an accident, but traveling at 114 miles per hour through a construction zone and in an closed lane was a serious and imminent threat to all other drivers in the area. Often, motorcyclists are the victims of accidents because drivers in cars and trucks do not see a biker and cause an accident. However, as this incident illustrates, motorcyclists can also be responsible for reckless conduct on the roads, and this can lead to serious or even fatal accidents. In some crashes, a motorcycle receives the majority of the force of the impact, leading most of the damage to be inflicted on the motorcyclists and the bike. However, when a biker hits a pedestrian or a bicyclist, the opposite is often true. If the negligent conduct of a motorcyclist causes injuries to another, the biker can be held financially liable for any damage caused.
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