Two people were seriously injured Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash in Morgan County.
The crash happened around 4:10 p.m. on Route J at Swan Drive near Gravois Mills. A Toyota Scion was slowing to make a left turn when a Dodge Ram 1500 struck the Toyota. Both vehicles then went off the left side of the roadway.
The driver of the Toyota and a passenger in the Toyota both suffered serious injuries. Both were flown to a local hospital for medical treatment. Both vehicles were totaled.
Rear-end crashes are especially dangerous when the vehicle ahead is slowing to make a turn. A driver preparing to turn is doing exactly what traffic conditions require: slowing down before making the movement. Drivers approaching from behind must watch carefully, control their speed, and leave enough distance to stop safely.
This crash shows how serious the consequences can be when a driver fails to react to a slowing vehicle. Striking the rear of a car that is preparing to turn is not a harmless mistake when it sends both vehicles off the road and leaves two people seriously injured.
Drivers have a responsibility to pay attention to the roadway ahead and anticipate that vehicles may slow for turns, driveways, intersections, or traffic conditions. Conduct that causes a rear-end crash and seriously injures innocent people should be taken seriously and addressed under the law.
