Utah Law Talk » Drowsy Driving

Two Vehicle Crash in Box Elder County Utah

ronkramerlaw — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:45:41 +0000

A portion of state Road 30 was closed on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 following a crash involving a minivan and a semi-truck in Box Elder County, Utah. According to the Deseret News, the crash happened at around 10:30 a.m. just east of Collinston, Utah when the driver of the van crossed the center line striking the truck. The truck driver could not avoid the crash and the cars crashed into each other head-on.

The impact of this Utah car accident caused the van to spin back into the westbound lane. The truck came to a stop after hitting a guardrail on the side of the road. The minivan driver was flown to a local hospital in critical condition. The truck driver suffered minor injures. Authorities believe the driver of the van fell asleep at the wheel, causing him to drift into the other lane.

Driving while fatigued is a major cause of crashes here in Utah. Many lives have been lost because drivers have put themselves behind the wheel while they were tired. The solution, of course, is to not drive while you are fatigued and to pull off the road to rest if you feel that your driving is compromised. Best wishes to all those who were injured in this unfortunate accident, including the sleeping drive.

Car Crashes Near Moab, Killing Mother, Injuring Son

ronkramerlaw — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:38:00 +0000

A 70-year-old woman and her son traveling on U.S. 191 about eight miles north of Moab, Utah, were involved in a car accident on December 7, 2008. According to KSL News, Brigida Alcaide’s son was driving her vehicle near Moab when, according to news accounts, he lost control of it. He told law enforcement that he may have been drowsy at the time. Ms. Alcaide suffered internal injuries and died at the scene of this Utah car accident. The deceased’s son suffered only minor injuries. Both were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Some say that drowsy driving is “buzzed driving.” This is true in the sense that driving while drowsy has the effect of impairing the attention span and driving abilities of those that drive, just the same way drugs or alcohol might. Our thoughts are with the deceased and with her son, who no doubt is having a hard time dealing with what happened.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Family members should be aware that the Washington State auto policy has certain coverages that may provide a death benefit for Ms. Alcaide. There is also a benefit under the policy for the family (including a husband, if any, parents, if any, and children) who might make a “wrongful death” claim up to the policy limits available for “bodily injury.” The family may be interested to talk to a Utah personal injury attorney regarding what remedies are available.

Published by: Ron Kramer

Sardine Canyon Accident Victims Identified

ronkramerlaw — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:35:00 +0000

We reported a couple days ago on the horrific crash between a Chevy truck and a Jeeps Cherokee that took the lives of two adults and one child in Box Elder County, Utah. According to KSL news, the adults have been identified as Curtis Andersen and Tami Andersen. The 9-year old child, Hannah Roach, who perished in the crash on December 5, 2008, was not actually theirs, but was a friend of their children, who happened to be along for the ride. The Andersen’s 5-year old, Kylie Andersen, thankfully, is expected to make a full recovery. The group had been to the Festival of Trees and were returning through Sardine Canyon when the crash occurred.

Family members of the Andersen’s are stepping in to help pick up the pieces following this tragic crash. The family asks those wishing to express condolences to do so by donating money to a fund that has been set up for the Andersen children at the USU Community Credit Union under the names Curtis and Tami Andersen. The credit union phone: (435) 753-4080.

Troopers on the scene are now saying that the driver of the pickup, an 18-year old student at Utah State University, may have fallen asleep, contributing to this fatal car accident. Criminal charges against him are being considered.

Published by: Ron Kramer