Just before 3pm on Tuesday, June 10th, an inattentive driver caused a car crash that resulted in three injuries on Route O in Franklin County, Missouri. As a Ford Escape was traveling westbound on Route O, a Honda Civic in oncoming traffic attempted to make a left turn on Route N but ran into the path of the Ford. Despite the vehicle’s best efforts to avoid a collision, the cars crashed into one another. According to a preliminary Highway Patrol report, the driver of the Honda was “inattentive to traffic,” and “made a left turn directly in front of [the Ford].” The driver of the Escape, a juvenile boy, seriously injured himself in the collision, and also moderately injured an occupant of his vehicle and the driver of the other. All three injured parties were transported to a local hospital.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that almost 3,300 people lost their lives at the hands of distracted drivers on the road, with a staggering 80% of vehicle crashes stemming from driver inattention. Another study says that nine out of ten car accidents are the result of driver error. This goes to show that accidents like this are not only unnecessary but completely preventable. Both federal and state legislators have laid out laws that guide us on how to drive safely, and our law enforcement officers ensure that those who ignore the laws and put others in jeopardy are punished for their intolerable behavior.