Five Dead After Multi-Car Wreck on Freeway
Authorities say five people are dead after a multiple-car accident occurred on the freeway about five miles south of Santa Clarita, California on Monday. Details of the crash are reportedly still unknown, but at the time of the crash, the freeway was slick with rain. When police responded to the crash, they noticed an overturned pickup truck, and firefighters reportedly worked for several hours to free victims of the crash who were still trapped inside as many as four vehicles.
Since rain is the most commonly experienced adverse-weather condition of all, the danger it poses to drivers, especially on the highways and freeways, does not receive enough attention. Rain can cause a number of conditions, such as slick roads and hydroplaning, that make driving treacherous at times. In the context of driving on a freeway, sudden stops and maneuvers are sometimes necessary in order to avoid collisions, which on busy freeways can collect a number of vehicles in a hurry.
Tennessee law imposes a duty on drivers to recognize the dangerous conditions created by rain and to drive accordingly. This will often include slowing down, sometimes substantially, in order to be able to react to changing road conditions appropriately. Also, driving rain storms or flooding conditions may dictate that a driver stops the car completely in a safe area.
Unfortunately, many drivers take for granted that rainy conditions do not pose a threat to them or their vehicle and do not adjust their driving habits. Often, this carelessness leads to negligent driving which results in accidents such as the one described above. Tennesseans who have been injured as a result of someone failing to drive carefully in adverse weather conditions, or driving negligently in any other manner, should consult an experienced personal injury attorney who can assist them in getting the compensation for their injuries that they deserve.
Source: http://news.findlaw.com/ap/other/1110/04-12-2010/20100412042008_21.html
