When authorities in Baltimore arrived at the scene of a vehicle accident, they were a little surprised at what they saw. An SUV was flipped upside down, but was balancing on top of a parked car, roof-to-roof.
According to the report, the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the SUV ran a red light. The SUV was then hit by another car, somehow went airborne and somehow landed on top of the parked car. Three people were trapped and needed to be extricated from the vehicle. Three were sent to the hospital with varying degrees of injuries. Police are still unsure if they will charge anyone in this particularly peculiar case.
Why are Rollover Accidents So Dangerous?
A report published in ConsumerReports shows that although rollovers occur in only 3 percent of all crashes, rollover accidents account for more than 30 percent of all deaths in vehicle accidents. These types of accident typically occur at high velocity and often result in serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injuries.
Typically, SUVs are more susceptible to rollover accidents due to the higher center of gravity and the fact that SUVs are usually top-heavier than other vehicles. This, combined with the removal of rollover bars that is standard for these modern family vehicles, make rollover accidents and subsequent passenger ejection that much more likely for SUVs. However, under the perfect set of circumstances, any type of vehicle is capable of a rollover accident.
How Can I Protect Myself From a Rollover Accident?
Though engineers have made improvements to SUV designs in order to try to reduce the risk of rollover accidents, there are still steps you can take to decrease the risk of a rollover.
- Wear seat belts. This seems like common sense, but an article from ConsumerReports showed roughly half of all deaths that occur due to rollover accidents happen when passengers are ejected out of the vehicle.
- Make sure your tires are in good condition and are inflated to the right pressure that is recommended by the manufacturer.
- Do not overload your vehicle, be it SUV or standard sedan car. Overloading the vehicle decreases stability. The proper load range is indicated in your user’s manual.
- Do not speed, as a vehicle’s speed determines the severity of the rollover accident. The faster your speed, the more severe the accident.
- Be alert on country roads or back roads, as almost 75 percent of rollover accidents happen in rural areas.
Contact a Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or your loved one have been involved in a rollover accident with or caused by another vehicle, it is important you contact an experienced attorney to help make the recovery process as easy as possible.
Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP is a personal injury law firm that fights for those injured in car accidents in Maryland. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/three-injured-in-earlymorning-accident-in-baltimore/38522300